By 2028, the programmatic goal is to bring unemployment below 4% and raise the average salary above 3,500 GEL- PM

One of our key national goals is to eliminate poverty once and for all, and of course, economic growth is crucial for achieving this — by 2028, the programmatic goal is to reduce unemployment below 4% and raise the average salary above 3,500 GEL,” said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze during a government meeting.

According to him, in terms of economic growth, Georgia remains a leader not only in the broader region but also across Europe, and it is very important to continue this development economically.

“In April, we recorded 7.5% economic growth, which is a strong and high figure. The average growth for the first four months was 8.8%, and in this regard, Georgia remains one of the frontrunners in terms of economic growth, both regionally and Europe-wide. It is crucial to maintain this pace of development.

Between 2022 and 2024, over a span of three years, the number of employed persons in Georgia increased by 185,000, and their average salary rose from 1,300 GEL to 2,217 GEL. Clearly, the country’s economic growth is reflected in a broad segment of the population. The important thing is to keep moving forward at this pace. Eliminating poverty is one of our primary national goals, and economic growth is the key to achieving that. Therefore, we must work with full focus to ensure continued rapid economic development.

We have very clear targets: by 2028, the programmatic goal is to bring unemployment below 4% and raise the average salary above 3,500 GEL. We believe that at the current pace, these goals are achievable. The rest depends entirely on us.

As for poverty, new data has been released. GeoStat published the figures for 2024. In 2023, the poverty rate was 11.8%. In 2024, this rate dropped by 2.4 percentage points. For the first time since the 1990s, a single-digit poverty rate was recorded — 9.4%. I would like to remind you that in 2012, when Georgian Dream came into power, more than 1.1 million people in our country were living below the poverty line. That figure has now dropped below 350,000.

Of course, the progress is evident, but our ultimate goal is to eliminate poverty entirely in Georgia. We are moving rapidly in that direction. We also have a specific programmatic goal in this area — we aim to reduce poverty below 4% by 2028. This is absolutely realistic. Therefore, at this pace, we can eradicate poverty in Georgia in the medium term,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.