The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Georgia to implement reforms to tackle youth unemployment. Nearly 30 per cent of people aged 15-24 are without a job in the country, according to World Bank data.
In the IMF's 2026 report on Georgia, it urges the country to focus on supporting successful sectors like the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry, and improve vocational education to try and reduce the youth joblessness rate.
The global financial institution said there was a “structural imbalance” between education and training in the country and the jobs available.
More than a third of young Georgians (36 per cent) were overeducated for their job as of 2024, according to the report, while 40 per cent of people who had completed education beyond secondary school were working in mid- to low-skilled roles.
Conversely, the report noted that undereducation, where a person’s schooling and training fall below what is expected for a specific role, was concentrated in Georgia’s growing ICT and finance sectors.
Economic growth is expected to slow to 6.5 per cent in 2026, down from 7.5 per cent in 2025, the IMF said. Growth will settle at five per cent by 2028, the report added.
The forecast rests on the assumption that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran will be resolved soon.
Growth in the first few months of 2026 has been driven by the country’s ICT, transport and education sectors, the IMF added.
These industries were "initially boosted by financial and migrant inflows,” as well as “shifts in regional trade patterns following the war in Ukraine,” the report notes.
The IMF added that the impact of the Middle East conflict on the country of around 3.8 million has so far been limited to reduced income from tourism and higher oil prices.
However, the report noted that “an escalation of the Middle East war could further disrupt tourism inflows from Israel and the Gulf region, raise inflation and tighten financial conditions.”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have discussed a number of regional developments, transport connectivi...
Southeast Asian foreign ministers called for restraint on Tuesday as renewed conflict in the Middle East overshadowed regional talks in Manila, warnin...
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said it had struck U.S.-linked military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, claiming damage to air defences and radar sys...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have discussed a number of regional developments, transport connectivity and the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia during talks in Berlin.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said it had struck U.S.-linked military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, claiming damage to air defences and radar systems, as U.S. forces carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran. The IRGC also said two oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed its latest review of Ukraine's financing programme, clearing the way for the immediate release of around $690 million in additional support. The latest disbursement brings total funding under the programme to about $2.2 billion.
Türkiye has taken a new technical step to facilitate direct trade with Armenia as part of the ongoing normalisation process between the two countries.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and triggering a major emergency response.
Kylian Mbappé has become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on more than one occasion. The French forward won the award presented to the top goalscorer of the tournament for the second time, despite France being knocked out in the semi-finals.
The United States launched fresh strikes against Iran after two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan. U.S. President Donald Trump paid tribute to the fallen troops as Iran warned of further escalation.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
Türkiye has taken a new technical step to facilitate direct trade with Armenia as part of the ongoing normalisation process between the two countries.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev met a leading representative of German business Monday evening during an official Berlin visit. Talks with Michael Harms, Chairman of the Eastern Committee of the Germany Economy, focused on trade, energy cooperation and transport links between Europe and Asia.
Iran said it has received overtures from regional mediators aimed at de-escalating the ongoing military standoff between Tehran and Washington.
Kazakhstan and Georgia will begin testing a digital permit exchange system for international road freight on 22 July, replacing paper permits with an electronic platform designed to streamline cross-border transport.
Georgia and Azerbaijan have launched a digital system for issuing and exchanging permits for international road freight transport. Georgian carriers can now use electronic permits in Azerbaijan, as they already do in Türkiye.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment