The Decline of the Rural Population in Georgia

The preliminary results of Georgia’s new population census clearly show that the country’s demographic map is gradually shifting in favor of urbanization. Whereas ten years ago, according to the 2014 census, nearly 43% of the country’s population lived in rural settlements, by 2024 this figure had already decreased to 38%. This means that the number of rural residents has declined by more than 100,000 people and now totals 1,490,900.
This process is not just a statistical change but a sign of economic, social, and cultural transformation. The main motivators for moving to urban centers remain the lack of job opportunities in rural areas, the disparity in access to quality education and healthcare, the pace of infrastructural development, and the overall quality of life. Cities offer more opportunities for both employment and services, as well as for self-realization, which is why the younger generation and the working-age population are increasingly leaving rural areas.

Tbilisi is now home to 34% of the country’s total population, once again confirming the special significance of the capital as the economic and social center. Among the regions, Imereti (12.9%) and Kvemo Kartli (11.2%) are the leaders, although in these regions too the dynamic of migration to urban centers remains strong. Against this backdrop, the share of the rural population continues to decrease year after year, which will further exacerbate the demographic and economic challenges of rural areas in the future.

For the country’s development strategy, this means that it is essential to renew rural infrastructure, implement innovative agricultural policy, and increase the viability of rural environments to retain young people. Otherwise, demographic shifts will further empty rural settlements and contribute to the socio-economic risks of entire regions.
Thus, Georgia’s demographic map under the trend of urbanization is becoming increasingly centralized, which, from the logic of economic development, is a natural process. However, the rate of rural population decline has already reached a critical point. This is evidence that without deep structural reforms, rural life will become even less popular and less promising in the years ahead.