• According to the final results of the 2024 Population Census, the number of foreign citizens residing in Georgia's population (3.93 million people) is no more than 163,000, whereas the preliminary results indicated 257,000. Accordingly, the discrepancy between the preliminary and final results is approximately 37%.

• According to the 2024 Population Census, Georgia's population increased by 215,800 over the last ten years (2015–2024). However, annual demographic statistics indicate that the population actually decreased by 17,500 during the same period.

• According to the Population Census, the number of Georgian citizens in the country's population increased by 88,700 between 2015 and 2024. In contrast, annual migration statistics show that during the same period 247,300 more Georgian citizens emigrated than returned to the country.

• Various international data sources also point to a significant increase in the emigration of Georgian citizens in recent years. For example, according to Eurostat, the number of Georgian citizens holding valid residence permits in European Union member states increased by 160%, from 62,300 in 2016 to 162,400 in 2024.

• According to the Population Census, the number of foreign citizens living in Georgia increased by 111,700 between 2015 and 2024. However, annual migration statistics indicate that 234,000 more foreign citizens arrived in Georgia for residence than left the country during the same period.

• According to the Population Census, the number of Russian citizens residing in Georgia increased by 30,000 between 2015 and 2024. By contrast, annual migration statistics show that 97,000 more Russian citizens arrived in Georgia for residence than departed during the same period.

According to the final results of the 2024 Population Census, Georgia's population stands at 3.93 million, representing an increase of 215,800 people compared to the 2014 census. Of Georgia's permanent population, 96% (3.767 million) are Georgian citizens, 3.4% (133,857) are foreign citizens, while the remaining 0.7% fall into the following categories: dual citizens (8,865), stateless persons (1,063), and citizenship not specified (19,246).

The final census results, which present the population breakdown by citizenship, differ substantially from the preliminary census results. According to the preliminary findings, Georgia's population was estimated at 3.914 million, of which, according to the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat), at least 93.4% (3.657 million) were Georgian citizens, while up to 6.6% (257,000) were foreign citizens permanently residing in the country. Consequently, the discrepancy between the preliminary and final estimates regarding the number of foreign citizens living in Georgia amounts to approximately 37%.

The 2024 census results are also inconsistent with Georgia's annual demographic statistics. Specifically, while the census indicates that Georgia's population grew by 215,800 between 2015 and 2024, annual demographic data suggest that the population actually declined by 17,500 over the same period. During 2015–2024, the number of deaths exceeded births by 4,200, while net migration was negative by 13,300.

An even more striking discrepancy emerges when comparing the census results with annual migration statistics broken down by citizenship. According to the census, between 2015 and 2024 the number of Georgian citizens residing in the country increased by 88,700, while the number of foreign citizens increased by 111,700. However, annual migration statistics indicate that during the same period 247,300 more Georgian citizens emigrated than immigrated, whereas 234,000 more foreign citizens immigrated to Georgia than emigrated.

For example, according to the census, the number of Russian citizens living in Georgia increased by 30,000, while annual migration statistics indicate that 97,000 more Russian citizens immigrated to Georgia than left the country between 2015 and 2024.

Considering the fact that Georgia experienced negative natural population growth during 2015–2024, the only plausible explanation for population growth would be positive net migration. However, this is not supported by Geostat's annual migration statistics.

Moreover, several international datasets also indicate increasing emigration among Georgian citizens in recent years. According to Eurostat, the number of Georgian citizens holding valid residence permits in EU member states increased by 160% between 2016 and 2024—from 62,300 to 162,400.

Geostat attributes the discrepancies between the Population Census results and the annual migration statistics primarily to methodological differences. For example, the Population Census considers foreign citizens to be permanent residents if they have lived continuously in Georgia during the previous year. Migration statistics, by contrast, count foreign citizens who crossed Georgia's border and spent at least 183 days in the country during the previous year.

Despite these methodological differences, census data and annual migration statistics (which are based on border-crossing records) are generally considered compatible datasets. Population Census results serve as the baseline data, which are updated annually using information on natural population change and external migration. Accordingly, statistics produced using these two different methodologies should form a logically consistent sequence. In this case, however, that consistency appears to be significantly undermined.

IDFI believes that the scale of the discrepancy between the preliminary and final census results concerning the number of foreign citizens residing in Georgia, as well as the conflicting trends regarding the migration of Georgian citizens, raise legitimate questions about the reliability of the statistical data. These inconsistencies require additional clarification from the responsible public authority.

Disclaimer: This English version was generated using artificial intelligence (AI) and has not been translated by a professional human translator. While every effort has been made to preserve the meaning of the original text, the translation may contain inaccuracies, omissions, or stylistic inconsistencies. In the event of any discrepancy, the original Georgian version shall prevail.