Georgia
Georgia has been actively working towards fostering a digital economy, recognizing its potential to drive economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness. The government has made significant policy efforts to create an environment conducive to private sector development and digitalization. The country’s digital economy is characterized by a well-developed connectivity infrastructure, with 100% population coverage by at least 4G mobile networks and 62% of households having a computer at home. However, there are still gaps in urban-rural connectivity and in connecting the last mile, with the lack of affordable and quality broadband internet service putting rural areas at a competitive disadvantage.
Internet governance
Internet governance in Georgia encompasses a range of policies and regulatory frameworks aimed at managing and facilitating the growth of digital technologies and online communications. Here are some key aspects of internet governance in Georgia:
Regulatory Framework: The Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) is responsible for regulating telecommunications and broadcasting sectors. It plays a crucial role in ensuring fair competition, managing spectrum allocations, and enforcing regulations that impact internet service providers (ISPs) and digital media.
Freedom of Expression: Internet freedom is generally respected in Georgia. There are no significant restrictions on access to content, and the internet is not heavily censored. However, issues related to privacy and data protection are ongoing concerns, especially with the advent of new technologies and the collection of personal data.
E-Governance: Georgia has made significant strides in e-governance, offering various administrative services online through the ‘MyGov.ge‘ portal. This effort not only enhances accessibility and efficiency but also transparency in governmental procedures.
Georgian stakeholders are active participants in various internet governance forums and initiatives at the regional and global levels. Georgian stakeholders participate in the annual South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance (SEE+), Central Asian IGF and Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) events, which bring together stakeholders from the region to discuss digital policy-related issues and challenges. At the global level, Georgian is a member of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
Georgian also has a national internet governance initiative called GeoIGF, which was established as a bottom-up, multistakeholder platform for discussing internet-related public policy issues in Georgian.
Digital strategies
Georgia has been actively pursuing digital transformation. The ‘Georgia 2020‘ strategy, for example, was aimed at strengthening the information society, improving governmental digital services, and enhancing the IT infrastructure. More recent initiatives continue to focus on digitizing government services, which is part of a broader effort to improve efficiency and transparency.
Another important initiative is the State Program on Broadband Infrastructure Development in Georgia. The program is a government initiative designed to expand high-speed internet across the country, focusing particularly on underserved and rural areas. This program is essential for promoting economic growth and enhancing the quality of life by ensuring universal access to affordable and reliable broadband services.
A key aspect of the program is the development of physical infrastructure, including the installation of fibre-optic cables and broadband towers, especially in rural regions where connectivity is limited. To accomplish its goals, the Georgian government collaborates with private sector companies through public-private partnerships, leveraging private expertise and resources while pursuing public objectives.
The program is supported by regulatory measures from the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC), which facilitates the deployment of broadband services by ensuring fair competition and removing barriers. Funding for these initiatives often comes from state budgets, international loans, and grants, with additional incentives to attract private investment in less profitable areas.
Cybersecurity
The country has developed a legal and policy framework aimed at bolstering national cybersecurity. This includes the creation of the Georgia Cyber Security Strategy and its accompanying action plan, orchestrated by the Data Exchange Agency under the Ministry of Justice.
The Organized Crime Action Plan, covering sections 20 to 30, outlines specific goals to be achieved by 2020. These focus on raising public awareness about cybersecurity, developing laws that address cyber issues, and enhancing the capabilities of state agencies that combat cybercrime. The plan also emphasizes the importance of forming public-private partnerships and strengthening international cooperation.
Furthering its commitment to international standards, Georgia has ratified the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime, known as the Budapest Convention.
CERT.GOV.GE, operating under the Ministry of Justice, is tasked with managing cybersecurity incidents within Georgian governmental networks and critical infrastructure. This unit is responsible for the detection, registration, and analysis of critical computer incidents, issuing recommendations, and responding quickly to mitigate such events.
AI strategies and policies
Georgia has been making significant strides in developing its artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, with universities leading the way. The state is particularly interested in AI for manufacturing, with top institutions like Georgia Tech investing heavily in the field.
In 2021, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a $20 million investment in a collaborative effort by Georgia Tech, the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), and other partners to establish the NSF AI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education (ALOE). The same year, Georgia Tech received a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to develop the Georgia Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing Corridor (GA-AIM). The Georgia Emerging Technology Summit: AI 2023 was a significant event that brought together state, regional, and local public sector leaders to explore the transformative potential of AI in government service delivery. The summit highlighted the need for a cautious and responsible approach to AI adoption, emphasizing the importance of ethical and security frameworks.
The data is sourced from reputable international agencies and organizations. Hover over each field for source information and explanations.
General profile
Official name: Georgia
National internet domain: GE
Area: 69,700 km2
Capital: Tbilisi
Population: 3,717,100
Population growth: -0.38
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.Life expectancy at birth: 73.92
Total years (2020year)Rule of law estimate: 0.17
Rule of Law captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, and in particular the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5 (Estimate 2021)Regulatory quality estimate: 1.11
Regulatory Quality captures perceptions of the ability of the government to formulate and implement sound policies and regulations that permit and promote private sector development. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5 (Estimate 2021)Political stability: -0.42
Political Stability and Absence of Violence / Terrorism: measures perceptions of the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated violence and terrorism. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5 (Estimate 2021)Economic info
Currency: Georgian lari
Unemployment (%): 10.66
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)GDP (current US$): 18,700,241,392.16
GDP growth (annual %): 10.36
GDP per capita (current US$): 5,042.39
Inflation, consumer prices (annual %): 9.57
GNI (current US$): 17,665,643,143.22
The Gross National Income, GNI, formerly referred to as gross national product (GNP), measures the total domestic and foreign value added claimed by residents, at a given period in time, usually a year, expressed in current US dollars using the World Bank Atlas method. GNI comprises GDP plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from non-resident sources.Ease of doing business score: 83.73
The ease of doing business score benchmarked economies concerning their proximity to the best performance in each area measured by Doing Business for the year 2019. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from0 = lowest performance to 100 = best performanceDigital profile
Internet and social media penetration:
Individuals using the internet, total (%): 76.4 (2021)
Social media statistics: 3.35 million
Estimate for 2022Male internet users (%): 76.8 (2021)
Male internet users as a % of total male populationFacebook users: 2.70 million
Estimate for 2022Female internet users (%): 76.1 (2021)
Female Internet users as a % of total female populationInstagram users: 1.45 million
Estimate for 2022Households with internet access at home (%): 86.1 (2021)
Linkedin users: 440.0 thousand
Estimate for 2022Fixed broadband subscriptions: 26.3 (2021)
Total fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) refers to fixed subscriptions to high-speed access to the public internet (a TCP/IP connection), at downstream speeds equal to, or greater than, 256 kbit/s.Twitter users: 143.6 thousand
Estimate for 2022Mobile infrastructure and access:
Mobile ownership (%): 76.64
Mobile phone ownership as a % of total population (Estimate for 2021)Mobile Infrastructure: 66.18
Mobile Infrastructure index: High-performance mobile internet coverage availability. It includes parameters such as network coverage, performance, quality of supporting infrastructure and amount of spectrum assigned to mobile network operators (Estimate for 2021)Male Mobile ownership (%): 93.4 (2021)
Male mobile phone ownership as a % of total male populationMobile Affordability: 60.46
Mobile Affordability index : The availability of mobile services and devices at price points that reflect the level of income across a national population. It includes parameters such as mobile tariffs, headset prices, taxation and inequality (Estimate for 2021)Female Mobile ownership (%): No data
Female mobile phone ownership as a % of total female populationCybersecurity Index: 81.06
Cybersecurity Index (Estimate for 2021): ITU cybersecurity valueNetwork performance: 57.25
Network performance index: Quality of mobile services measured by download speed, upload speed and latencies (Estimate for 2021)Mobile download speeds: 45.68
Mobile download speeds: Average download speed for mobile users (originally in Mbit/s) (Estimate for 2021)Mobile uploads speeds: 40.76
Mobile uploads speeds: average uploads speed for mobile users (originally in Mbit/s) (Estimate for 2021)Mobile Latencies: 85.29
Mobile Latencies: Average latency for mobile users (originally in milliseconds) (Estimate for 2021)Speedtest-Broadband: 19.68
Speedtest-Broadband: The value is expressed in Mbps (Estimate for 2021)Network Coverage (%): 88.8
Network coverage (% of total population) (Estimate for 2021)2G Coverage (%): 99.98
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2021)3G Coverage (%): 99.0
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2021)4G Coverage (%): 98.0
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2021)5G Coverage (%): 0.0
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2021)Operating system and browser market share estimate for 2022:
Operating system market share (%):
Desktop, Tablet & Console Operating System Market Share: Estimate for 2022Browser market share (%):
Browser Market Share Worldwide: Estimate for 2022Android: 41.14
Chrome: 74.38
Win10: 27.23
Safari: 11.86
iOS: 12.73
Edge: 3.75
OS X: 3.15
Firefox: 1.77
Win11: 3.11
Samsung Internet: 2.44
The UN E-Government Survey 2022:
The UN E-Government Survey is the assessment of the digital government landscape across all UN member states. The E-Government Survey is informed by over two decades of longitudinal research, with a ranking of countries based on the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a combination of primary data (collected and owned by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and secondary data from other UN agencies.E-Government Rank: 60
Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a combination of primary data (collected and owned by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and secondary data from other UN agencies. Estimate gives the country's rank.E-Government Index: 0.75
The EGDI is a composite measure of three important dimensions of e-government, namely: provision of online services, telecommunication connectivity and human capacity. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.E-Participation Index: 0.53
The E-Participation Index (EPI) is derived as a supplementary index to the United Nations E-Government Survey. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Online Service Index: 0.61
The online services index was developed by the UN to evaluate the scope and quality of government online services. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Human Capital Index: 0.9
The Human Capital Index (HCI) quantiï¬es the contribution of health and education to the productivity of the next generation of workers. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Telecommunication Infrastructure Index: 0.74
Telecommunication Infrastructure Index- Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII) Composite Indicator that measures the countries' Telecommunication infrastructure readiness to adopt the opportunities offered by Information and Communication Technology as to enhance their competitiveness. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.ICT information:
ICT skills
Information economy indicators
Individuals with basic ICT skills (%): 35.9 (2021)
Share of ICT goods, % of total exports (value) 1.50 (2021)
Individuals with standard ICT skills (%): 12.3 (2021)
Share of ICT goods, % of total import (value): 4.84 (2021)
Individuals with advanced ICT skills (%): 1.3 (2021)