Population ageing in Georgia under conditions of economic crisis

Mzia Shelia, Tbilisi State University

Due to the specificity of demographic development, the process of demographic aging in Georgia unlike other countries developed in a starkly different way. Unlike other countries the process of demographic aging in Georgia caused by fertility decline began in the very first phase of demographic transition. It wasn’t characterized by fairly high rate but it was of irreversible nature. Due to the specificity of demographic development, the process of demographic aging in Georgia unlike other countries developed in a starkly different way. Unlike other countries the process of demographic aging in Georgia caused by fertility decline began in the very first phase of demographic transition. It wasn’t characterized by fairly high rate but it was of irreversible nature. In the 1990s due to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and deeply developed economic crisis, the drastic fall in fertility and mass emigration of youth caused a sharp growth of aging rate. During the years of 1989 and 2002 the share of the population 60 years of age and older increased from 14.4% to 18.6%. But in the same period due to the reduction of life expectancy the demographic burden rate didn’t increase. Against the general background of population aging there are contrast regions and ethnic groups in Georgia. For instance, the difference in the median age between the regions having the youngest and most aged population made up 14 years and in ethnic groups – 25 years. Georgia is an unprecedented country where the population is extremely aged, the economy is rather retarded. By the aging index (61) it is close to such developed countries as the US (59), Poland (60), Australia (66). By the level of economic growth it belongs to the group of less developed countries. This creates a grave situation to solve social and economic problems caused by population aging, and this is impossible to be solved without efforts of international society.