According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat), 2023 the number of active economic agents engaged in organization of markets in Georgia was 194, and 30.4 percent of those were located in Tbilisi, while 19.1 percent were located in Imereti region, 13.4 percent — in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, 11.9 percent – in Kakheti region, 8.8 percent — in Kvemo Kartli, 5.1 percent – in Adjara, 4.6 percent – in Shida Kartli, 2.1 percent – in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, 2.1 percent – in Samtskhe-Javakheti, 1.5 percent – in Guria, and 1.0 percent – in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region.
Limited Liability Company was the most frequent legal form for economic agents engaged in organization of markets and it held 76.3 percent share from the total number of active markets in 2023, while the Individual Entrepreneur held 20.6 percent. Other markets had the legal form of either Joint Stock Company (1.6 percent), Cooperative (1.0 percent), or Joint liability Company (0.5 percent).
95.9 percent of markets were under the private ownership in 2023, while the rest of 4.1 percent was owned by the state. In 2023, all economic agents engaged in organization of markets occupied 2.0 mln. sq.m area combined. These markets were equipped with 68 vet laboratories, 1291 units of storage facilities with total area of 28.6 thousand sq. meters, and 358 units of cold storage (refrigerators) with 0.7 thousand tone total capacity.
In 2023, 35.0 percent of active markets were roofed (trade takes place inside of buildings), 35.6 percent were open type markets (trade takes place outside of buildings), and 29.4 percent were semi-roofed (trade takes place inside as well as outside of buildings). In 2023, sellers carried out trade with food and nonfood goods on territory of active markets. 30.4 percent of markets traded only nonfood goods, single market traded only with foods, three market - with cars also, while five markets traded only poultry and livestock. Trading days differed by markets in Georgia in 2023: daily trade was carried out in 147 markets, while Sunday trade was organized in 23 markets, trade except Sunday was carried out in three markets, and for the rest of markets one-, two- or three-day trade was carried out during different days of a week. The number of places for trade in markets reaches 51.8 thousand and on average 37.4 thousand sellers trades per day.
In 2023, the number of employed persons in administrations of economic agents engaged in organization of markets amounted to 2.7 thousand. 34.5 percent of those people were females and 45.8 percent were based in Tbilisi. In 2023, income of economic agents engaged organization of markets amounted to 176.9 mil. GEL. Out of the total, incomes from the issuance of trading rights licenses (one-time payment) generated 11.4 mil. GEL (6.4 percent), incomes from renting out of trade stands generated 153.2 mil. GEL (86.6 percent), while 12.3 mil. GEL (7.0 percent) was other income. In the same period, total expenditures of economic agents engaged in organization of markets amounted to 108.9 mil. GEL, of which 36.5 mil. GEL was salary of employed persons.
