J.P. Morgan launches GBI-EM Edge index incorporating Georgian lari government bonds
J.P. Morgan has added a new instrument to its government bond indices, the GBI-EM Edge, which has a market value of USD 328 billion and spans 425 instruments across 24 local currencies and 26 countries. The new index includes Georgian government bonds, accounting for a 1.79 per cent share. Georgian Ministry of Finance released this update.
The ministry highlighted that the GBI-EM Edge serves as a dedicated benchmark for frontier financial markets.
“The index is designed to track sovereign bond performance across frontier markets characterised by high yield profiles and enhanced accessibility for international institutional investors.
Georgia’s inclusion in this index signifies that local currency-denominated sovereign securities have achieved benchmark status within global capital markets. This development carries significant strategic weight, as global institutional investors, asset management firms, and international investment funds actively utilise these benchmarks to guide asset allocation and portfolio construction.
Georgia’s entry into the GBI-EM Edge reflects solid macroeconomic stability alongside major strides in local bond market access. Admission to this benchmark validates the government’s public debt management strategy, which prioritises systematic market growth and the establishment of robust benchmark instruments designed to secure inclusion in leading international indices.
A key component of this sovereign debt development policy was the inaugural syndicated issuance of ₾400 million in domestic treasury securities in May 2026, which generated exceptionally strong demand from both local and foreign institutional buyers.
The inclusion of lari-denominated debt in benchmark-tracking global funds will further stimulate international capital inflows into sovereign bonds. Deepening the domestic public securities market will, in turn, fortify the stability of the national financial system and broaden capital market opportunities for Georgia’s private sector,” the Ministry of Finance confirmed.