To improve availability of quality data about the state of population in Georgia, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has hosted a working meeting on March 11.

Head of UNFPA Georgia Country Office Mariam Bandzeladze, Chief of Population Unit of UNECE , Lisa Warth, and Head of Health Policy Division of the Ministry of IDPs, Labor, Health, and Social Affairs Ketevan Goginashvili, welcomed the participants.

UNECE consultant Tengiz Tsekvava, introduced the results of data availability assessment analyses, followed by the group discussion on the results and recommendations as well as on priorities and further next steps for improvement of quality data availability and accessibility.

The meeting aimed to support the implementation and monitoring of the State Policy on Population Ageing and related action plans and to strengthen the evidence base for ageing-related policies in Georgia.

In Georgia, nearly one in six persons in the country are aged 65 or older. Population ageing touches nearly every aspect of society and has the potential to transform economies, labour markets, as well as social protection, education and health systems.

The data availability and needs assessment aims to take stock of relevant ageing-related data collected in Georgia, including official statistics and administrative data, covering overall trends in population dynamics and demographic change as well as the situation of older persons across different age groups and domains of life.