In 2024, the World Bank Education Team in Georgia, under the analytical activity - Strengthening Higher Education and Research in South Caucasus, issued a call for policy research papers. The objective was to gain insights into existing challenges within the higher education sector from the...

The technical mission aimed to strengthen the cyber risk regulation and supervision, and testing for the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). The mission focused on (i) an assessment of NBG's cyber risk regulation, (ii) an assessment of cyber risk supervisory arrangements of NBG, (iii) assisting in...

High-quality childcare services are vital to children's development and family wellbeing but are not equitably accessed by all children. Programs supported by the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) have the potential to reduce these inequities. Economically eligible Black children use...

Now that the European Council has given the green light to opening EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, it is clear that the Union is no longer simply showing symbolic solidarity with neighbours invaded or threatened by Russia. Rather, a new chapter of enlargement policy is...

The dynamics of Austria's economic relations with the EU Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - and with Russia have deviated from those of the EU in several important ways. During the decade preceding the war in Ukraine, Austrian trade...

Georgia's economic performance remains robust. Growth has moderated from double digits but remains high, inflation is low, and fiscal and financial buffers are healthy. EU candidate status has boosted sentiment, but the global environment remains highly uncertain due to ongoing conflicts and...

This CD engagement covered two distinct areas to help the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) deliver on its price stability mandate, it: 1) provided a forward-looking analysis of the NBG's balance sheet to assess its policy solvency and to help institutionalize such a process, and 2) outlined a...

This report updates the Fiscal Transparency Evaluation for Georgia published in 2017. Over the past six years, Georgia has taken significant steps to address the transparency gaps identified in the 2017 assessment. Fiscal reporting has become more comprehensive through an increased coverage of...

The US dollar has been an integral part of everyday life and political-economic order in Georgia for more than three decades. Thinking and planning in two currencies - the Georgian lari and the dollar - is common not only for local companies and the government but also for households. The dollar...

Evidence on how digital technologies, such as online health information platforms, affect the doctor-patient relationship in general, and the diagnosis and treatment of patients in particular, is still limited. In this study, we explore the effects of alternative information from an online...

Evidence on how digital technologies, such as online health information platforms, affect the doctorpatient relationship in general, and the diagnosis and treatment of patients in particular, is still limited. In this study, we explore the effects of alternative information from an online source...

Since 25 June 2024, the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) have been engaging in accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. The EU wants and needs to provide a strategic response to new geopolitical challenges, especially the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. At the same...

In this paper, we use survey data from the South Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) to document the presence of gender gaps in the labor market and examine its consequences. To do the analysis, we use a numerical general-equilibrium occupational choice model with heterogeneous...

This technical assistance (TA) mission on Government Finance Statistics (GFS) was conducted in Georgia during April 26 - May 24, 2021. The main purpose of the mission was to assist the authorities in extending GFS coverage to include non-market State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and aligning fiscal...

This technical assistance (TA) mission on Government Finance Statistics (GFS) was conducted in Georgia during January 16- 27, 2023. The main purpose of the mission was to assist the authorities in extending GFS coverage to include non-market State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and aligning fiscal...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has accelerated global dynamics that profoundly impact the post-Soviet South. Relations with Russia are still strong, but the former subalterns are raising their voices. The empowerment is most visible in their foreign relations, but also tends to strengthen...

Since February 2022 - when Russia invaded the Ukraine - the geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus changed dramatically. On the one hand, EU sanctions on Russia made the "Middle Corridor" of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative through the South Caucasus more attractive for China and...

This paper analyzes historical census data from the final Soviet census in 1989. We find that, even in the absence of sex-selective abortions, the fertility decisions of Armenian, Georgian, and Azeri parents living in Russia in the late 1970s and the 1980s were significantly more son-biased than...

The primary purpose of this paper is to compare the Georgian and Finnish legislation regulating employment security issues during military and non-military service of the employee working for the private or public sector. The present paper discloses similarities and differences between the...

Using unique survey data from Georgia, Mongolia, and the Philippines, we examine gender gaps in entrepreneurship. The overall incidence of entrepreneurship is highest in Cavite, Philippines, while the gender gap in ownership is highest in Mongolia. On average, enterprises operated by men have...

Since the release of the first Georgia Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) in 2018 Georgia has regained upper middle-income status and has shown resilience amid a rapidly changing external environment. Economic growth has remained robust despite shocks, driven by capital accumulation. Consistent...

Georgia's polarised domestic politics and slow reforms have complicated its relationship with the EU. Autumn 2023 will be a pivotal period for the nation, as the EU will then decide about its candidacy status. While Georgia's full compliance with the EU's 12 recommendations is doubtful,...

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the governments of many countries adopted measures to support the population during the lockdowns and periods of reduced economic activity. In the Republic of Georgia, in April 2020 the government announced that it would pay the electricity bills of residential...

The goal of the present paper is to analyze changes in the compositional structures of Georgia's economy, explore the related qualitative transformations and explain implications for trade and development. By comparing the evidence of several European countries, we put Georgia's structural...

“Trade Policy Reviews" analyse the trade policies and practices of each member of the WTO. The reviews consist of three parts: an independent report by the WTO Secretariat, a report by the government, and the concluding remarks by the Chair of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body. The opening...

The paper discusses the impact of the integration of education and science on the sustainable development of the country on the example of CIS countries, Ukraine and Georgia. The human development index (HDI) was taken as an aggregate indicator of sustainable development, and the number of...

Problem definition: Due to the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court ruling in 2013, Georgia was no longer required to get federal preclearance for changes to its voting processes. In response, county election administrators throughout Georgia modified their voting practices between the 2012 and...

Connectivity, especially in the transport sector, has become a ubiquitous issue in the South Caucasus in recent years. Transport connectivity also plays a central role in the European Union’s policy towards the region. As part of its Global Gateway Initiative, the EU has made a commitment that...

The factsheets of Labour market statistics on candidate countries and potential candidates presents series of statistical data on different aspects of the labour market for ten candidate countries and potential candidates and compares them with EU data. The candidate countries at the time of...

Remittance flows in emerging market and developing economies were surprisingly resilient during the COVID-19 crisis, providing much-needed income support for remittance-receiving households. However, households were impacted differently across income distributions. Using novel high-frequency...

This technical assistance report on Georgia focuses on operationalizing the new bank recovery and resolution frameworks. The economic environment has improved, as coronavirus disease, 2019 has been brought under control but there are new challenges emerging. Economic growth is strong, interest...

This technical assistance report on Georgia focuses on operationalizing the new bank recovery and resolution frameworks. The Georgian authorities have indicated their interest in operationalizing their recovery, resolution, and crisis management frameworks. The report highlights the need to...

Remittance flows in emerging market and developing economies were surprisingly resilient during the COVID-19 crisis, providing much-needed income support for remittance-receiving households. However, households were impacted differently across income distributions. Using novel high-frequency...

This article examines the importance of landholdings in explaining income inequality among family farms in four districts in Georgia following the land reform of the 1990s. Income inequality is decomposed by sources of income and by determinants of income. The results indicate that farm income...

This report is based on the findings from two focused After-Action reviews (AARs) in Norway and Georgia that discussed the use of evidence in the advice-making process for long-term care facilities (LTCFs) during the start of the COVID-19 Omicron wave in early 2022. Both countries responded to a...

Georgia's polarised domestic politics and slow reforms have complicated its relationship with the EU. Autumn 2023 will be a pivotal period for the nation, as the EU will then decide about its candidacy status. While Georgia's full compliance with the EU's 12 recommendations is doubtful,...

The Country Program Evaluation (CPE) will seek to assess how well the Bank Group-supported strategy was aligned with Georgia's main development challenges and how effective the Bank Group's support was in addressing these challenges. The evaluation seeks to identify lessons that support the...

This report explores priorities and challenges faced by Georgia to promote green transition and support its businesses to reduce their emissions through energy efficiency. The report stresses the need for improved incentives and opportunities for business investments in energy efficiency and...

Air pollution profoundly impacts welfare, causing more deaths globally than malnutrition, AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. In the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, air pollution levels exceed international standards and surpass levels in other cities in the region. The average monthly PM2.5...

We examine economic activity measured with firm performance indicators using the changes in intensity of night-time light in four Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation economies: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. The empirical analysis is based on the World Bank Enterprise...