🎒 Education Expenditure in Georgia

Education Expenditure in Georgia

Georgia invests 3.6% of its gross domestic product in education — a figure that lies significantly below the EU average of approximately 5% and also falls noticeably short of the levels maintained by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. This chronic underfunding has concrete effects on teacher salaries, school infrastructure, and the competitiveness of the education system, but is being incrementally addressed through targeted international credit programs and reform legislation.

Legal Foundations and Budget Structure

The legal basis of Georgia's education system comprises two central laws: the Law on General Education (2005) for the school sector and the Law on Higher Education (2004) for higher education. Both have been amended multiple times since, most recently in 2022 with strengthened focus on inclusive education and digital competencies. The education budget is approved annually by Parliament as part of the state budget and administered by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia. For fiscal year 2024, the Ministry's total budget was approximately 2.1 billion GEL (about 735 million USD). Of this, an estimated 55% goes to general education schools, 20% to higher education, 15% to vocational training, and 10% to preschool education and administration.

Teacher Salaries: The Core Problem

A key factor in education quality is teacher salaries, which in Georgia remain low despite several rounds of increases. Career starters in the school system earn approximately 700 GEL monthly (about 245 USD), while experienced teachers with full teaching loads and allowances can reach up to 1,500 GEL (approximately 525 USD). For comparison: the average monthly salary in Tbilisi in 2024 was approximately 2,200 GEL according to Geostat. Teachers thus earn below average, making the profession unattractive and leading to a chronic shortage of qualified new entrants. In the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, teacher salaries are multiples of Georgia's levels — a circumstance that further fuels brain drain in the education sector. Teacher Professional Development Centres offer continuing education and career ladders with salary supplements, but the base compensation remains the central obstacle to recruiting talented graduates into teaching.

Investment in School Infrastructure

A bright spot is the comprehensive school renovation program that Georgia has been conducting since 2019 with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Over 200 school buildings across the country have been or will be renovated by 2025 — with new classrooms, science labs, sports halls, and barrier-free access. The ADB loan amounts to 100 million USD, supplemented by Georgian co-funding of approximately 30 million USD. Priority regions are Kakheti, Imereti, and Samtskhe-Javakheti, where the renovation backlog was greatest. In Tbilisi, 15 schools were simultaneously modernized under a municipal program. Additionally, the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) invested a total of 140 million USD in Georgian STEM education between 2014 and 2019 — including for laboratories, teaching materials, and teacher training at 200 schools.

Regional Differences in Resource Distribution

Education spending distribution is heavily centralized: the national budget is managed by the Ministry in Tbilisi, and municipalities have only limited education budgets of their own. This means rural regions are structurally disadvantaged in funding allocation. Schools in Tbilisi benefit from supplementary municipal funding and a higher density of private education providers, tutoring institutes, and extracurricular offerings. In regions like Racha-Lechkhumi or Mtskheta-Mtianeti, basic equipment is frequently lacking: heating during winter months, internet access, and current textbooks. The OECD recommended in its country review of Georgia (2019) increasing per-pupil funding for rural schools through a weighting factor — this recommendation has been only partially implemented so far.

Preschool Sector: Growing Segment

Since the introduction of mandatory preschool education from age five (2017), spending on early childhood education has risen. In 2024, municipalities operated approximately 1,800 preschool facilities nationwide serving around 130,000 children. Quality varies greatly: Tbilisi has modern facilities with bilingual programs (Georgian-English), while rural communities make do with improvised spaces staffed by a single educator for 25–30 children. The UNICEF Georgia Country Office published a 2023 study showing that children who attended preschool scored an average of 18% better in first-grade national assessments than children without preschool experience — a strong argument for further expansion of this sector.

International Context and Reform Pressure

At 3.6% of GDP, Georgia falls not only below the EU average but also below the average for countries with comparable income levels. The World Bank recommends an education spending ratio of at least 4.5% for transition economies. The United States invests approximately 5% of GDP, the UK about 4.2%, Canada around 5.3%, and Australia roughly 4.9% — the differences are reflected in virtually all education indicators, from school equipment through teacher salaries to university research budgets. The Georgian government has set a target in its "Education and Science Strategy 2022-2030" policy paper to raise education spending to 5% of GDP by 2030. Whether the political will and fiscal headroom suffice remains to be seen — the GDP growth of recent years (averaging 5–7% in real terms) creates at least a favorable starting position.

What This Means for Expats

The comparatively low education spending directly impacts the quality of state schools. Families from Western countries who value education quality should specifically seek out schools with international accreditation or demonstrably good facilities. In Tbilisi and Batumi, a growing segment of private schools with modern curricula, small classes, and English-language instruction exists — at costs of 5,000 to 30,000 GEL per year, which given the country's low cost of living is significant.

This article was created on April 19, 2026