Pensions will increase by GEL 5

From November 1 pensions in Georgia will increase by GEL 5 and reach GEL 80. In Georgia there are 660,000 pensioners, so approximately 4 million GEL should be added to State expenditure in this way. Before the elections in 2008 State officials promised to increase pensions to USD 100 but it is obvious that this target will not be reached this year.

Pensions in Georgia are almost the lowest in the post Soviet area, at approximately USD 44 per month. In Uzbekistan the State pension is USD 40, in Armenia it is USD 26, in Tajikistan USD 16, and Kyrgyzstan USD 13. The highest post-Soviet pension is paid in Estonia (USD 170), and the next best are in Lithuania (USD 106), Kazakhstan (USD 101), Azerbaijan (USD 93), Latvia (USD 92), Ukraine (USD 70), Belarus (USD 67), Russia (USD 50) and Moldova (USD 45).

In Georgia the subsistence level is GEL 120 per month, the pension meets only 70% of this.