The population of Georgia is ethnically diverse. It is based on Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Ossetians, Russians, Abkhazians, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Assyrians.
The ethnic consolidation of the Georgian nation did not end even during the Soviet period, and the beginning of the XXI century brought only a significant aggravation of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and economic differences.
The population of Georgia can be divided into the following ethnographic groups:
- cartels;
- Kartlians, Kakhetins (East Georgia);
- Java, Meskhs (South Georgia);
- Adzharians, Imeretins, Lechumians (Western Georgia);
- Mingrelians (Khobi river basin);
- Svans (live in the highlands of Svaneti);
- manholes (inhabitants of several villages in the south-west of the country).
More than half of the country's population lives in cities, the largest of them are Kutaisi, Tbilisi, Rustavi, Batumi, Sukhumi. During the years of Soviet power, several new industrial centers grew in the country: Zestafoni, Rustavi (ferrous metallurgy, chemistry), Tkibuli and Tkvarcheli (coal mining), Chiatura (non-ferrous metallurgy), etc.
The population of Georgia in recent years has begun to increase slightly. On January 1, 2013 it is 4498 thousand people. This is 0.6 percent higher than the previous year.
The population of Georgia and migration processes
In Soviet times, Pontic Greeks and Meskhetian Turks were deported. In the late 80s, due to ethnic conflicts, Meskhetians fled from Uzbekistan, but they were not allowed to enter Georgia, and they temporarily settled in the Krasnodar Territory, awaiting a decision on their fate. However, the authorities of the Krasnodar Territory in the end also refused to accept them. And only in 2004, the US government invited all Meskhetians to their place.
After the collapse of the USSR, many Russians, Jews, Greeks left Georgia. The population of Ossetia as a result of emigration to Russia also decreased, and ethnic Georgians fled from Abkhazia to the internal regions of Georgia. In addition, a large number of them live outside of Georgia, mainly in Russia.
A significant increase in external and internal migration has led to political and serious socio-economic upheavals in the country in recent years. In 2009, Georgia took one of the first places in the number of citizens who asked for shelter abroad. Basically, the inhabitants of this country want to settle down and live in Europe, most often seek to move to Poland, Greece, Austria, Germany.
According to experts, the Georgian population is migrating from the country due to the difficult socio-economic situation, which was further aggravated by the global economic crisis and military events in August 2008. Today, the scale of emigration from the country is very worrying for the Georgian government. In addition, many citizens travel outside the state and work there mainly illegally, which leads to serious problems.
The demographic situation in the country is also very serious; at present, almost two times fewer children are born than is necessary for the simple reproduction of a generation of parents. The ratio of young people to people over 60 changes in favor of the latter. Even a significant improvement in economic conditions is unlikely to make a difference.