For Georgia’s MP Bakaradze: Nearly 400,000 emigrated in three years, yet GD frames this demographic disaster as prosperity

“Deaths now outpace births in Georgia by 6,500 annually, which is an unmistakable sign of an impending demographic catastrophe driven by severe socio-economic hardship and massive emigration among young people,” declared For Georgia party MP Ketevan Bakaradze.

Bakaradze criticised the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, arguing that the ruling Georgian Dream administration is attempting to dismiss a tragic national exodus as the natural byproduct of an increasingly affluent lifestyle.

“The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, recently made a statement that was deeply insulting and essentially derisive toward the people of Georgia. He offered a bizarre explanation for our country’s demographic decline, claiming that as Georgians become wealthier, they choose to have fewer children and prioritise careers over family. In short, according to Papuashvili, economic prosperity is expanding so rapidly, and people are living so well that our increased wealth is driving us to the brink of extinction.

The statistics on Georgia’s demographic decline are truly catastrophic. In 2023, there were 40,000 births and 43,000 deaths. In 2024, births dropped to 39,500 against 44,000 deaths. In 2025, births fell further to 37,800 while deaths reached 44,300. Deaths now exceed births by 6,500. These are the hallmarks of a genuine demographic disaster that cannot be ignored. This worsening trend is compounded by severe socio-economic distress and high migration, specifically the outflow of young people and working-age citizens from the country.

Nearly 400,000 people have emigrated from Georgia in the last three years alone. The Georgian Dream government presents this tragic reality as ‘living the good life’ and attempts to frame it as a statistical norm. In truth, this stance is completely detached from Georgian values, our culture, and the traditional desire for larger families widely held across our society. This is further corroborated by the UN’s new 2026 regional study, which shows that for the vast majority of young Georgians, family and children remain paramount values. According to the research, the primary obstacles to having children are material and social conditions: financial instability, low income, lack of affordable housing, healthcare costs, and the high price of childcare products. Young people have not lost the desire to have children; they lack the conditions and means to start a family.

Against this backdrop, the Speaker’s statement is not merely false – it is a mockery of young people living through difficult circumstances without meaningful economic prospects or access to quality education. Far from foregoing children to pursue careers, most of these young people are deprived of career prospects and stable, fairly remunerated employment altogether.

As a citizen of this country and a mother of five, I call on Shalva Papuashvili to refrain from making such offensive remarks to the Georgian people. I remind him that he represents a team whose members enrich themselves through corrupt funds amid a national demographic crisis. In these circumstances, corruption is tantamount to high treason, and to this grave crime, they now add insult and mockery toward our population,” Bakaradze stated.