Tbilisi
Tbilisi generates half of Georgia's GDP from one-third of population, 9.4% 2024 growth and $2B H1 2025 tourism despite EU-related political tensions.
Tbilisi concentrates Georgia's economic activity, political power, and international connections in patterns of urban primacy that characterize post-Soviet states. The capital generates roughly half of national GDP from one-third of the population, creating economic gravity that draws migrants from other regions. The 2024 GDP growth of 9.4% and 370% per capita increase since 2000 reflect dynamism that Tbilisi disproportionately captures.
Tourism has transformed the old town, international visitors (particularly from the Middle East and Russia) filling hotels and restaurants year-round. Wine bars, craft cocktail venues, and international cuisine create nightlife that competes with European capitals. The $2 billion in H1 2025 tourism earnings reflects this growth, though political tensions around EU aspirations create uncertainty.
Service sector employment dominates—finance, technology, hospitality, government. The construction boom that reshaped Tbilisi's skyline slowed in 2024 but continues transforming peripheral districts. Whether the city can sustain growth while managing the housing affordability, traffic, and infrastructure pressures that success brings—and whether political turmoil around the ruling party's EU stance affects investment—shapes Tbilisi's trajectory.