GeoStat: 100,000 People Emigrated from Georgia in 2018

Nearly 100,000 people emigrated from Georgia in 2018, according to new data compiled by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat). A 15.8% increase from the previous year, the 98,935 emigrants represent 2.66% of the entire population of Georgia, some 3.72 million people.

Additionally, the number of immigrants to Georgia increased by 5.9%, a total of 88,152 persons. The majority of both emigrants (86.6%) and immigrants (84.5%) are of working age (15-64 years old).

Recent surveys, however, suggest that most Georgians do not favor permanent emigration. The results of the Caucasus Barometer 2017, an annual household survey conducted by the Caucasus Research Resource Center, found that 90% of respondents were not currently interested in leaving Georgia permanently. 55%, however, were interested in leaving temporarily.

According to 2014 census data used in the 2017 Migration Profile of Georgia, compiled by the State Commission on Migration Issues, 66% of emigrants lived in urban areas before they left Georgia. Most of the emigrants left from Tbilisi, Imereti and Kvemo Kartli.

The number of applications submitted by Georgians for Schengen Area visas nearly doubled between 2010 and 2016, from 59,275 to 106,024, according to the migration profile.