For many years, Georgia had a declining population, although its current growth rate is estimated at about 0.6% per year. Unless something changes, government officials and demographers predict Georgia's population may fall to half its current size in just 40 years. In 2011, President Mikheil Saakashvili set a population goal of 5 million by 2015.
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, more than 1.5 million Georgian nationals have left the country. There are believed to be 1 million Georgian immigrants living in Russia.
There are several reasons the country's population remains flat, including a preference for boys that has led to more abortions of females and fewer potential mothers, as well as the financial hardship of having more than one child. One possible way to address this overall stagnant population is welfare benefits and assistance for large families and pregnant women. A low fertility rate of less than 2 children per mother is also a considerable impact on this reported low natural growth. As of 2019, the annual rate of change in Georgia was -0.07%.
The declining birth rate in combination with increasing emigration is expected to continue into the foreseeable future, causing the population to continuously decline. Current projections believe that the annual growth rate will get down to -0.55% by the year 2050. If this proves to be true, the population in Georgia will likely be around 3,898,529 in 2020, 3,748,350 in 2030, 3,576,930 in 2040, and 3,393,665 in 2050.
| Georgia Population (as of 8/16/2024) | 3,807,626 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 3,807,670 |
| Births per Day | 118 |
| Deaths per Day | 123 |
| Migrations per Day | 5 |
| Net Change per Day | -1 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | -229 |
Net decrease of 1 person every 1440 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 12.2 minutes | |
| One death every 11.7 minutes | |
| One immigrant every 288 minutes | |
| Net loss of one person every 1440 minutes |
City | 2024 Population |
|---|---|
| Tbilisi | 1,049,498 |
| Kutaisi | 178,338 |
| Batumi | 121,806 |
| Sokhumi | 81,546 |
| Zugdidi | 73,006 |
| Rust'avi | 50,000 |
| P'ot'i | 47,149 |
| Gori | 46,676 |
| Ts'khinvali | 30,000 |
| Samtredia | 28,748 |
Not to be confused with the state of Georgia in the United States, the country of Georgia is located where Eastern Europe meets Western Asia. The country is bordered by Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and it touches the Black Sea to the west. The total surface area available in Georgia comes to 26,911 square miles (69,700 square kilometers), giving it a ranking of 121st in area size.The 2017 population of Georgia was 3.71 million, giving it a population density of about 138 people per square mile (53 people per square kilometer, which ranks 123rd in the world in terms of population density.
Nearly 60% of the population in Georgia live in or around a major metropolitan area. The capital is Tbilisi is also the largest city in the country with a population of nearly 1.5 million people. Tbilisi is located along the Kura River, making it a popular trade destination, and it has been occupied since at least the 5th century. The second-largest city in Georgia is Kutaisi with a population of nearly 200,000. Kutaisi is subtropical and surrounded by deciduous forest and is considered the cultural center of Georgia. The third-largest city is Butami with a population of 167,000 and is a popular tourist destination because of its location along the sea and its reputation for nice weather. The only other city in Georgia with a population exceeding 100,000 is Rustavi.
Year | Population | Growth Rate | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,807,670 | 0.06% | 55 | 131 | 159 |
| 2023 | 3,807,492 | 0.07% | 55 | 131 | 158 |
| 2020 | 3,795,678 | -0.03% | 55 | 131 | 154 |
| 2019 | 3,796,722 | 0.05% | 55 | 131 | 153 |
| 2018 | 3,794,877 | 0.05% | 55 | 131 | 153 |
| 2017 | 3,792,859 | 0.02% | 55 | 131 | 153 |
| 2015 | 3,791,573 | -0.54% | 55 | 131 | 150 |
| 2010 | 3,895,925 | -0.66% | 56 | 127 | 146 |
| 2005 | 4,026,131 | -1.44% | 58 | 125 | 142 |
| 2000 | 4,328,358 | -2.55% | 62 | 117 | 129 |
| 1995 | 4,925,743 | -2% | 71 | 106 | 118 |
| 1990 | 5,448,868 | 0.27% | 78 | 96 | 112 |
| 1985 | 5,376,896 | 0.8% | 77 | 94 | 109 |
| 1980 | 5,165,546 | 0.74% | 74 | 92 | 104 |
| 1975 | 4,979,409 | 0.72% | 72 | 90 | 99 |
| 1970 | 4,804,055 | 1.64% | 69 | 83 | 98 |
| 1965 | 4,429,322 | 1.79% | 64 | 84 | 98 |
| 1960 | 4,053,800 | 1.66% | 58 | 83 | 98 |
| 1955 | 3,734,030 | 1.32% | 54 | 82 | 96 |
Year | Population | Growth Rate | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,807,670 | 0.06% | 55 | 131 | 159 |
| 2025 | 3,806,671 | 0.06% | 55 | 131 | 159 |
| 2030 | 3,790,542 | -0.08% | 55 | 131 | 160 |
| 2035 | 3,764,200 | -0.14% | 54 | 132 | 162 |
| 2040 | 3,732,856 | -0.17% | 54 | 133 | 164 |
| 2045 | 3,703,994 | -0.15% | 53 | 136 | 166 |
| 2050 | 3,664,014 | -0.22% | 53 | 136 | 167 |
| 2055 | 3,613,965 | -0.27% | 52 | 137 | 169 |
| 2060 | 3,553,642 | -0.34% | 51 | 139 | 169 |
| 2065 | 3,481,730 | -0.41% | 50 | 139 | 171 |
| 2070 | 3,406,200 | -0.44% | 49 | 139 | 170 |
| 2075 | 3,335,131 | -0.42% | 48 | 139 | 169 |
| 2080 | 3,265,570 | -0.42% | 47 | 140 | 171 |
| 2085 | 3,198,080 | -0.42% | 46 | 139 | 172 |
| 2090 | 3,126,809 | -0.45% | 45 | 139 | 173 |
| 2095 | 3,052,291 | -0.48% | 44 | 139 | 173 |
38.6
Total
35.9
Male
41.4
Female
There are people over age 18 in Georgia.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2024 |
| 2014 | 19 November 2014 |
| 2002 | 17 January 2002 |
| 1989 | 12 January 1989 |
Most Georgians do not fit into main ethnic groups of Asia or Europe. It is believed that modern-day Georgians are the result of a fusion of aboriginal inhabitants with immigrants from South Caucasus. Ethnic Georgians account for 84% of the population, with other ethnicities including Armenians, Greeks, Russians, Jews, Azerbaijanis, Ossetians, and Abkhazians. Georgian Jews are one of the oldest Jewish communities on earth.
The official language used here is Georgian, with additional use of Azeri, Armenian, and Russian.
The median age of the overall population in Georgia is currently at 38.1 years of age in 2018, with a total life expectancy of approximately 76.4 years.
Although Georgia has had a history of religious disputes with surrounding nations, there is harmony among religious groups within the country and there is no official state religion. Orthodox Christianity accounts for 83.4% of the population, and the Georgian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. An additional 10.7% of Georgians practice Islam, which has been in the area since 645 AD. Within the Muslim community, there are are two major groups: the Sunni Hanafi and the Azerbaijani Muslims which are separated largely by region. There is a small Jewish community in Tbilisi as well as small numbers of Roman Catholics scattered throughout the country.
The Georgian economy has been going well in the years since the fall of the Soviet Union largely due to economic and democratic reforms made in the area. In 2007, Georgia was named the World's number one economic reformer. Georgia is known for being easy to do business with and is one of the least corrupt nations in the European Union. Major industries in Georgia include energy because of its huge hydroelectric capacity, agriculture which employs 55% of the population, and tourism.
Starting in the year 1801, present-day Georgia was part of the Russian Empire. Georgia declared its independence in 1918, which Russia did not approve of and they absorbed the country into the newly forming Soviet Union. The people of Georgia fought back against Soviet forces for much of the 1900s and there were many violent and deadly clashes during that period before they were finally successful in gaining their independence in 1991.
By 1992 Abkhazia in the northwest region of the country fought against the Georgian government for their liberation, but a ceasefire agreement was signed by 1994. In 2001 Russia accused Georgia of harboring rebels from Chechenia and raided the nation, but the United States helped equip Georgia to fight back. In 2006 a pipeline burst on the Russian border, forcing Georgia to receive gas from Iran, but escalating tensions with Russia, beginning more years of fighting.