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.

On March 14, the ISET Policy Institute organized a roundtable discussion on Food Prices, Price Controls, and their Potential Impact on Georgia’s Economy. The event was attended by experts from local and international institutions who shared their views and exchanged ideas on proposed policy solutions.

In February 2023, the average cost of cooking one standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri stood at 6.94 GEL. This latest average price is 18.4% higher than in February 2022. While in month-to-month developments, the price of a khachapuri increased marginally by 0.1% compared to the previous month of January 2023.

According to Geostat's report titled “Tendency of Economic Growth, Indicators of Monthly Economic Statistics”, the real GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2022 is estimated to be 9.5%, which has contributed to an overall annual real GDP growth of 10.1% in 2022.

In January 2023, the average cost of cooking one standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri increased annually – ranging between 6.88 GEL (Batumi) and 7.25 GEL (Telavi), with an average cost of 6.93 GEL. This latest average price is 19.7% higher than in January 2022.