Credible and transparent municipal data is critical as Georgia strives to improve the quality of rural life and promote the balanced territorial development of its regions. Diverse statistical information from municipalities will inform targeted development programs and will help assess the efficiency of local services and the achievements and gaps in local and regional governance.
The European Union and Denmark, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), are assisting the National Statistics Office, GEOSTAT, to improve municipal data collection, systematize already available statistical information, define and collect new statistical indicators, and make the sub-national statistics easily accessible to the public.
The results of this support were presented to the public on February 13, with representatives from the Georgian Government, municipal authorities, civil society and the private sector attending the event.
“The EU cares deeply about further developing the regions of Georgia to make sure that the whole population has access to opportunities and services. The foundation of this is clear and reliable data. The new GEOSTAT platform will help policy-makers and local authorities to make well-informed decisions for the people living in their regions. We are happy to celebrate its launch today,” said Colombe de Mercey, Governance and Human Capital Team Leader at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.
“Municipalities need reliable and transparent statistical data to assess their needs and develop responsive policies and programs. Denmark helps improve municipal data collection as part of our broader support for decentralization and good governance in Georgia,” said H.E. Anne Toft Sørensen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark in Georgia.
With the EU and Denmark’s support, GEOSTAT developed a specialized webpage regions.geostat.ge integrated into its public website. The digital service offers information on 64 Georgian municipalities, tracking economic, demographic and social dynamics across 82 indicators, with 52 indicators provided by Georgia’s public agencies and the rest by GEOSTAT through statistical surveys.
“The Regional and Municipal Statistics Portal will be available to all categories of users, enabling quick and easy access to statistical information, both at the regional and municipal levels,” said Gogita Todradze, Executive Director of Geostat.
“UNDP welcomes cooperation with the EU and Denmark to support GEOSTAT in its vital work, respond to the national data needs, and assist Georgia to achieve its sustainable development priorities,” noted Nick Beresford, UNDP Resident Representative in Georgia.
UNDP’s assistance to Georgia’s National Statistics Office, GEOSTAT, is supported by the EU-funded program EU for Integrated Territorial Development (EU4ITD) promoting balanced territorial development and improved living standards in Georgia’s regions, and the Denmark-funded project for decentralization and good governance in Georgia.
