According to the 2025 annual report of the Public Defender, 379,957 children were registered in Georgia’s Unified Database of Socially Vulnerable Families, a 3% increase compared to 2024. Of these, 23,322 were newly registered. More than 278,000 children received subsistence assistance from the state.
The report highlights that children’s socio-economic well-being is closely tied to their health, development, and ability to fully exercise their rights, making effective social protection mechanisms essential for reducing child poverty.
Data shows that 278,639 children received subsistence assistance in 2025, including 12,868 first-time beneficiaries. A total of 186,163 families with at least one child are registered in the database, while 129,329 families receive assistance.
Although the number of children engaged in social protection programs is rising, the Ombudsman notes that the true scale and causes of child poverty remain insufficiently studied. The increase may reflect better awareness of programs, higher assistance amounts, and methodology changes, but it also signals ongoing socioeconomic hardship. The report calls for a systemic, in-depth analysis to identify real poverty levels and inform evidence-based policy decisions.
