Economy, jobs and prices in Shida Kartli, Georgia: official figures
The economy of Shida Kartli generated 3.4 billion lari of gross value added in 2024 at current prices, 4.2% of Georgia's total and 5th smallest of 11 regional economies.
What is the GDP per capita of Shida Kartli?
Gross value added per resident in Shida Kartli was about 13,588 lari in 2024, 34.0% below the national figure of 20,603 lari and 5th lowest of 11 regions.
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Shida Kartli?
Employees in Shida Kartli earned an average of 1,235 lari a month before tax in 2024, 37.3% below the national average of 1,971 lari and 4th lowest of 11 regions.
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Shida Kartli?
The unemployment rate in Shida Kartli was 14.9% in 2025 (up from 14.3% in 2024), compared with 13.9% nationally, 3rd highest of 11 regions; about 17,453 people were looking for work.
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copyHow much foreign investment does Shida Kartli get?
Net foreign direct investment into Shida Kartli totalled about 179 million US dollars over 2021-2025, 2.0% of the national total; in 2025 alone it was 53.3 million dollars.
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copyHow many hotels are in Shida Kartli?
54 hotels and hotel-type businesses operated in Shida Kartli in 2025, compared with 17 in 2019 before the pandemic, about 22 per 100,000 residents.
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copyHow many companies are in Shida Kartli?
11,815 businesses and organisations were active in Shida Kartli at the end of 2024, about 47 per 1,000 residents, up from 8,474 at the end of 2020.
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copyMore figures
- In nominal terms the regional economy of Shida Kartli grew by 95% between 2019 and 2024, against 86% for Georgia as a whole. Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copy
- Average monthly pay in Shida Kartli rose from 707 lari in 2019 to 1,235 lari in 2024, an increase of 75%. Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copy
- 46.0% of residents aged 15 and over in Shida Kartli were in work in 2025 (99,316 people) and 54.1% were in the labour force; 62% of the employed were hired employees and the rest mostly self-employed (Georgia 69% hired). Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copy
- Businesses registered in Shida Kartli reported a turnover of 3.5 billion lari in 2024 and employed 24,864 people, who were paid an average of 1,229 lari a month (all Georgian businesses: 2,024 lari). Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) · saved copy
How Shida Kartli compares with other first-level divisions
Gross value added per resident (lari) (2024)
Shida Kartli ranks 7 of 11, highest first. Regional gross value added at current prices divided by the population on 1 January 2025
| Rank | Region | Gross value added per resident (lari) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Samtskhe-Javakheti | 16,006 |
| 5 | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo (lower) Svaneti | 15,975 |
| 6 | Samergelo and Zemo (upper) Svaneti | 14,579 |
| 7 | Shida Kartli | 13,588 |
| 8 | Kakheti | 13,311 |
| 9 | Guria | 13,271 |
| 10 | Kvemo Kartli | 13,092 |
Average monthly nominal earnings of employees (lari) (2024)
Shida Kartli ranks 8 of 11, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average monthly nominal earnings of employees (lari) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Samergelo and Zemo (upper) Svaneti | 1,269 |
| 6 | Imereti | 1,268 |
| 7 | Kakheti | 1,248 |
| 8 | Shida Kartli | 1,235 |
| 9 | Samtskhe-Javakheti | 1,226 |
| 10 | Guria | 1,100 |
| 11 | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo (lower) Svaneti | 978 |
Unemployment rate, ages 15+ (%) (2025)
Shida Kartli ranks 3 of 11, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate, ages 15+ (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tbilisi | 17.5% |
| 2 | Imereti | 16.1% |
| 3 | Shida Kartli | 14.9% |
| 4 | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | 14.6% |
| 5 | Guria | 14.1% |
| 6 | Kvemo Kartli | 13.8% |
| 7 | Samergelo and Zemo (upper) Svaneti | 9.6% |
Employment rate, ages 15+ (%) (2025)
Shida Kartli ranks 8 of 11, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate, ages 15+ (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Tbilisi | 47.5% |
| 6 | Guria | 47.0% |
| 7 | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo (lower) Svaneti | 46.1% |
| 8 | Shida Kartli | 46.0% |
| 9 | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | 43.2% |
| 10 | Kvemo Kartli | 42.3% |
| 11 | Imereti | 41.7% |
Active businesses and organisations per 1,000 residents (2024)
Shida Kartli ranks 9 of 11, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Active businesses and organisations per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | 58 |
| 6 | Imereti | 57 |
| 7 | Guria | 56 |
| 8 | Samergelo and Zemo (upper) Svaneti | 54 |
| 9 | Shida Kartli | 47 |
| 10 | Kakheti | 46 |
| 11 | Kvemo Kartli | 42 |
More on Shida Kartli: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Georgia
Sources
- National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat): Regional Statistics: population and vital statistics, regional GDP, labour force, earnings, household incomes and expenditures, health care and social protection, schools and universities, household infrastructure, hotels and foreign direct investment by region (the eleven Excel files offered on the page, saved unmodified in one archive with a manifest of their download links), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a38acfadfe56…)
- National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat): Regional Statistics, Business Sector: turnover, value added, employment, pay and investment of businesses by region, city and municipality, 2014-2024, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f87cc320c757…)
- National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat): Statistical Yearbook of Georgia 2024 (published December 2025): population of cities and active entities by administrative-territorial unit, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75cc83526308…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.