Migrants from Georgia

The organization Liberal Academy Tbilisi has carried out polling concerning migrants from Georgia. The results of the research showed that there are around 900 000 people who have migrated from Georgia. That is almost 23% of the entire population of the country. Of these migrants, 80% are labor migrants of whom 72% are making money transfers back into their homeland to their families. According to the statistics every fourth family in Georgia has at least one migrant abroad.

The destinations of migrants are as follows: Russia, former Soviet states, Turkey and the EU. From the European countries, Georgians mostly appear to settle in Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, Germany and Poland. According to the information from the national bank during 2006-2010 immigrants from Georgia transferred more than USD 4 bln back into Georgia to their families. 60% of this amount came from Russia and 17% from EU countries. The biggest transfers from EU countries come from Greece – 29%, Italy – 22%, Spain – 14%, Germany – 6%, and Britain – 5%.

Overall 20% of Georgian migrants go to USA, 60% to European countries and 20% to other countries of the world. Among the migrants 54% are females and 46% are male. 49% of those emigrating from Georgia have a university education, and 31% are professionals.

More than 27% of emigrants work as nurses and babysitters, 23% are occupying occasional positions. Out of the migrants, 40% speak foreign languages, 84% of those migrants live abroad without any kind of educational or working experience abroad. 85% of migrants from Georgia left to go abroad without having confirmed a working position.