Irakli Kobakhidze: “The average salary has tripled since 2012.”
Verdict: FactCheck concludes that Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement is HALF TRUE.
The average monthly taxable salary amounted to GEL 676 in the first quarter of 2012, rising to GEL 713 by the end of the year and reaching GEL 2,170 by the first quarter of 2025. This represents a threefold increase in the average nominal salary from 2012 to early 2025 and a 3.2-fold rise when comparing the first quarters of 2012 and 2025.
When comparing corresponding periods for a more precise calculation, the average salary in current prices more than tripled. However, inflation significantly dampened the pace of real wage growth.
Real income reflects purchasing power – what goods and services can be bought with a given salary. Consumer prices rose by 66% between 2012 and 2024 and by 70% as of the first quarter of 2025.
The average salary when measured in constant 2012 prices increased by 78% (1.8-fold) from GEL 713 in 2012 to GEL 1,275 in the first quarter of 2025 and by 87% (1.9-fold) from GEL 682 to GEL 1,275 when comparing the first quarters of 2012 and 2025. Considering the nominal accuracy of the figures presented, but omission of inflation, FactCheck concludes that Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement is HALF TRUE.
Analysis
Commenting on the economy, Irakli Kobakhidze stated (from 12:20): “Economic growth was reflected in the increase in the average salary – totalling GEL 2,170 in the first quarter of 2025. It was GEL 712.5 in 2012. We tripled the salaried during this period.”
The average monthly nominal salary amounted to GEL 676 in the first quarter of 2012[1], rising to GEL 713 by the end of the year. It had reached GEL 2,060 by 2024 and GEL 2,170 in the first quarter of 2025.
Whilst quarterly data is not directly comparable to annual figures, this discrepancy did not affect the final verdict as in this case the figures cited do not distort the outcome in favour of the author of the statement.
The average nominal salary rose 3.2-fold from the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2025 – exceeding the threefold increase mentioned by Irakli Kobakhidze. However, the issue lies not in the numbers themselves but the omission of inflation. Although nominal wages have more than tripled over the past 13 years, real incomes have not.
Notably, consumer prices rose by 66% between 2012 and 2024 and by 70% as compared to the first quarter of 2025.
When adjusted for constant 2012 prices, salaries rose by 74% – from GEL 713 to GEL 1,240 – between 2012 and 2024 and by 87% – from GEL 682 to GEL 1,275 – between the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2025.
Graph 1: Monthly Salaries of Hired Employees (GEL)
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia
The first quarters of 2012 and 2013 stand out in the graph where wages calculated in constant prices exceed real wages – a result of slight deflation during that period.
The impact of inflation becomes more pronounced over longer time spans. The nominal wage rose 152-fold from 1995 to 2024 – from GEL 13.5 to GEL 2,060. Furthermore, it increased 16 times between 2003 and 2024 – from GEL 126 to GEL 2,060. Whilst living standards have improved significantly over the last 22 and 30 years, real incomes have not grown by 16 or 152 times (i.e., not by 1,500% or 15,100%).
Both nominal and real wages increased overall during the Georgian Dream’s governance. However, real wages stagnated between 2018 and 2023, although growth resumed before and after that period despite inflation. Real wages increased by 74% between 2013 and 2024 and by 87% from the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2025. Considering the nominal accuracy of the figures presented, but the omission of inflation, FactCheck concludes that Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement is HALF TRUE.i
