Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze outlined Georgia’s ambitious economic and social development goals during a recent government meeting, emphasizing the country’s strong economic performance and reaffirming a national commitment to eradicating poverty.

“One of our key national goals is to eliminate poverty once and for all, and of course, economic growth is crucial for achieving this,” Kobakhidze said. He announced the government's programmatic targets for 2028: reducing unemployment to below 4% and raising the average monthly salary above 3,500 GEL.

Highlighting Georgia’s position as a regional leader in economic growth, the Prime Minister pointed to strong indicators:

7.5% growth in April 2025

8.8% average growth over the first four months of the year

“Georgia remains one of the frontrunners in terms of economic growth, both regionally and across Europe,” he noted, adding that maintaining this momentum is vital for sustainable development.

According to Kobakhidze, the country’s labor market has seen major improvements: between 2022 and 2024, employment increased by 185,000, and the average salary rose from 1,300 GEL to 2,217 GEL.

On the issue of poverty, the Prime Minister cited new data from GeoStat showing a milestone achievement:

“In 2024, for the first time since the 1990s, Georgia recorded a single-digit poverty rate — 9.4%, down from 11.8% in 2023.”

He contrasted this with the situation in 2012, when over 1.1 million people were living below the poverty line. That number has now fallen below 350,000.

While acknowledging that challenges remain, Kobakhidze expressed confidence in achieving the government's 2028 poverty reduction target of less than 4%, describing it as “absolutely realistic.”

“The progress is evident, but our ultimate goal is to eliminate poverty entirely in Georgia. At this pace, we can achieve that in the medium term,” he concluded.