Georgian population on downward trend

Georgia’s population tends to trend downward since 2002, Head of the Census and Demography Division of Georgian National Statistics Office (GeoStat) Paata Shavishvili said today.

In an interview with Georgian newspaper Kviris Palitra Shavishvili noted that generally reviewing the Census 2014, which was conducted throughout the whole country, Georgia’s populations was decreasing.

"Unfortunately, a downward trend of population has been identified. Compared to the year 2002 [when the last census was conducted], the data will likely reveal less population,” he noted.

Shavishvili noted that final results of the Census 2014 would be revealed in year and a half, but preliminary results would be published by the end of April.

"We calculated the population on the village level, by age and gender difference, by age - how many people in Georgia are under 15 and over 65. Many experts, including United Nations representatives, claim that Georgia’s population is aging. The census will show us how real this threat is,” he said.

"We counted the population according to national origins, regions, districts, education levels – how many have higher education, literacy etc. Previously Georgia was a leader country by literacy numbers and we are interested if we have kept our position. We have also investigated how many Georgian citizens have professional and technical education, how many disabled people live here etc,” he said.

The population census was conducted by GeoStat in the beginning of November 2014. Throughout 15 days 12,300 employees went door-to-door and surveyed every citizen and foreign resident in Georgia.

The census will determine the population size and how its composed (gender, age) employment rate level of education and health, livelihood and household conditions, agricultural activities and more.