Real wage growth slowed to 3.36% in the first quarter of 2026, from 6.22% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 5.74% in the third — a fall of 2.86 percentage points in a single quarter. Purchasing power is still rising, but at roughly half the pace of six months earlier.
Both sides of the calculation moved against workers. Nominal wage growth eased to 7.67% from 10.20% in the fourth quarter and 10.54% in the third, while annual inflation rose to 4.3% in the first quarter from 4.0% in the fourth. The average monthly nominal wage in the entrepreneurial sector was 2335.9 GEL in the first quarter.
The more relevant number is one the wage data has not reached yet: inflation accelerated further to 5.8% in the second quarter of 2026. If nominal wage growth holds near its first-quarter pace, that acceleration compresses real gains further still.
Figures in this post
Every number below was checked against the source before publication.
CPI_YOY_QAnnual inflation, quarterly snapshot Computed from other indicators’ stored observationsNOMINAL_WAGE_GROWTH_YOY_QNominal wage growth, year over year Computed from other indicators’ stored observationsNOMINAL_WAGE_QAverage monthly nominal wage, entrepreneurial sector National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) — downloaded filesREAL_WAGE_GROWTH_QReal wage growth, year over year Computed from other indicators’ stored observations