კონფერენცია

∘ Lela Menabdishvili ∘
DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS IN GEORGIA AND THE POPULATIONS POINT OF VIEW ABOUT THE WAY TO OVERCOME IT

Abstract

The severe demographic situation of Georgia is manifested in the decline of the birth rate, the aging population, and the high level of migration. The countrys population is characterized by a constant downward trend. If the population decline continues at this pace, by 2050 the population of Georgia will be much smaller than what was calculated by the United Nations. The clearly defined trend of population decline and aging is very dangerous and alarming for a small nation like us. This process heralds the inevitability of the countrys demographic catastrophe. Demographers encourage Georgian families to have at least three children in order to balance childless families and married people. In order to maintain only a simple reproduction of the population, it is necessary that families with three or more children make up more than half of the total number. Our sociological research showed that the number of respondents who already have three or more children or want to have them in the future is 2.7 times less than those who want to have 1-2 children. Those respondents who do not have the desired number of children named the following reasons: "difficulty raising children," "material situation," "not having their own living space," "infertility."

Sociological studies confirm that the population of Georgia has knowledge about the countrys demographic situation and thinks about ways to solve this problem. According to them, the solution is: helping Georgian youth to create a family; Supporting young families by providing them with a low-interest mortgage loan; increasing the period of paid maternity leave up to two years; Promotion of employed pregnant women and young mothers, both from the state and private sector: reduction of working hours by one hour, arrangement of kindergartens in large organizations; Various types of support for the well-being and social security of large families together with financial assistance; promotion of employment of adult children of multi-parent families; improvement of the healthcare system, etc.

The high rate of emigration plays an important role in the countrys demographic situation. Respondents believe that in order to reduce the outflow of young people from the country, it is necessary to carry out important reforms in education. These reforms should affect both secondary and higher education. The opportunity to get the desired education in the homeland will reduce the number of emigrating to study. Also, it is necessary to improve the socio-economic situation in the country so that people don't think about emigrating anymore, it is important to implement a policy of returning immigrants to their homeland. In it, the respondents consider an increase in wages, health insurance for all, social security, etc.

According to the population, the countrys demographic crisis is a problem for the nation to solve. In order to deal with the demographic problems of our country, it is necessary to have a national, effective, predictable, sustainable and consistent family and demographic policy, which will be focused on strengthening the Georgian family.
Key words: demographic crisis, birth rate, migration.

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Paata Gugushvili Institute of Economics International Scientific C O N F E R E N C E S "ECONOMY – XXI CENTURY"

E ISSN 2587 - 4691	∘ Lela Menabdishvili ∘ DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS IN GEORGIA AND THE POPULATIONS POINT OF VIEW ABOUT THE WAY TO OVERCOME IT Abstract The severe demographic situation of Georgia is manifested in the decline of the birth rate, the aging population, and the high level of migration. The countrys population is characterized by a constant downward trend. If the population decline continues at this pace, by 2050 the population of Georgia will be much smaller than what was calculated by the United Nations. The clearly defined trend of population decline and aging is very dangerous and alarming for a small nation like us. This process heralds the inevitability of the countrys demographic catastrophe. Demographers encourage Georgian families to have at least three children in order to balance childless families and married people. In order to maintain only a simple reproduction of the population, it is necessary that families with three or more children make up more than half of the total number. Our sociological research showed that the number of respondents who already have three or more children or want to have them in the future is 2.7 times less than those who want to have 1-2 children. Those respondents who do not have the desired number of children named the following reasons: "difficulty raising children," "material situation," "not having their own living space," "infertility." Sociological studies confirm that the population of Georgia has knowledge about the countrys demographic situation and thinks about ways to solve this problem. According to them, the solution is: helping Georgian youth to create a family; Supporting young families by providing them with a low-interest mortgage loan; increasing the period of paid maternity leave up to two years; Promotion of employed pregnant women and young mothers, both from the state and private sector: reduction of working hours by one hour, arrangement of kindergartens in large organizations; Various types of support for the well-being and social security of large families together with financial assistance; promotion of employment of adult children of multi-parent families; improvement of the healthcare system, etc. The high rate of emigration plays an important role in the countrys demographic situation. Respondents believe that in order to reduce the outflow of young people from the country, it is necessary to carry out important reforms in education. These reforms should affect both secondary and higher education. The opportunity to get the desired education in the homeland will reduce the number of emigrating to study. Also, it is necessary to improve the socio-economic situation in the country so that people don't think about emigrating anymore, it is important to implement a policy of returning immigrants to their homeland. In it, the respondents consider an increase in wages, health insurance for all, social security, etc. According to the population, the countrys demographic crisis is a problem for the nation to solve. In order to deal with the demographic problems of our country, it is necessary to have a national, effective, predictable, sustainable and consistent family and demographic policy, which will be focused on strengthening the Georgian family. Key words: demographic crisis, birth rate, migration.