Russian citizens were the largest group among immigrants to Georgia between 2015 and 2024, according to revised migration statistics published by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat).
The updated data show that 229,605 Russian citizens entered Georgia during the 10-year period, while 82,029 left the country. This means immigration from Russia exceeded emigration by 147,576 people. Before the revision, the net migration balance for Russian citizens had been estimated at 97,090, indicating that the revised figures show a significantly larger influx than previously reported.
The largest wave of migration from Russia was recorded in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That year, 80,272 Russian citizens moved to Georgia, while 5,167 left. Between 2022 and 2024, a total of 149,729 Russian citizens entered Georgia and 46,430 departed, resulting in a positive net migration balance of 103,299. The previous data had put the figure at 71,614, meaning the revised balance is 31,685 higher.
Migration flows declined significantly in 2024, with 3,519 more Russian citizens entering Georgia than leaving. Previously published figures had indicated a negative balance of 2,038 for that year. Overall, the data revision increased the positive net migration balance of Russian citizens for 2015–2024 by 50,486. The trend among Georgian citizens was the opposite: according to the revised statistics, 128,259 more Georgian citizens left the country than returned during the same period.
