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.”
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President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Eight Buddhist monks were killed and more than 20 others injured after an 11-year-old boy driving his parents' pickup truck ploughed into a religious procession in north-eastern Thailand, police said.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over alleged efforts to influence last month's parliamentary vote through Armenian citizens residing in Russia.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Georgia’s only oil refinery will stop using Russian crude oil by September to preserve access to Western markets, its operator has said.
Iran has begun talks with Japan about selling oil to Japanese companies, according to Iranian and Western sources. The discussions come less than a month after the U.S. eased decades-old sanctions on Iranian oil as part of efforts to secure a final peace deal with Tehran.
At least 40 people were killed after a passenger bus plunged off a highway into a ravine in southwestern Pakistan, officials said on Friday (3 July).
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