Digitalization can be defined as the process of change that digital technology causes or influences in all aspects of life. For businesses, it implies digital improvements which alter business models, alongside the way in which products or services are manufactured and delivered.

On May 3, ISET Policy Institute co-hosted a public event organized by World Bank Georgia where representatives of the World Bank and co-authors of the study, Jamele Rigolini and Sarah Call-Black, presented the resilience report "Protecting Human Capital in Times of Shocks and Crises".

In 2022 Georgia stayed on the path of recovery, exceeding experts’ expectations of economic performance. According to GeoStat’s preliminary estimates, the real GDP continues to show double-digit growth rates, measuring at 10.1% y/y in 2022 – which is remarkably close to the NBG’s real GDP growth expectation of 10% from October 2022.

Over the past few years, food prices have been increasing and Georgia has been facing food price inflation in the double digits. This is primarily due to international market trends that reflect concerns over decreased production, increased crude oil prices, as well as COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine increased pressure on international food markets already struggling with soaring prices.

A world without poverty is the number one goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet, poverty risks have been exacerbated globally in recent years, due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war on Ukraine. Researchers currently estimate that between 760 and 873 million people around the world will be living in extreme poverty in 2022.