IRI Georgian Poll Shows Improvement in Some Sectors, Continued Concern over Jobs

Tbilisi, Georgia – IRI today released its latest poll of Georgian public opinion.  The poll, conducted May 17 – June 2, 2013, is a comprehensive analysis of attitudes regarding the current Georgian economic, social and political landscape.

This is the second nationwide poll that IRI has conducted in 2013.  In prior surveys, the primary concern of the electorate continues to be unemployment at 47 percent (up five percent from February 2013), followed by the restoration of territorial integrity at 18 percent (up two percent).  More than half of those surveyed believe that the situation in agriculture and the prisons have improved.  On the other hand more than half of respondents believe that the situation with local sakrebulos (councils), NATO integration and employment have gotten worse.

IRI has conducted polls in Georgia since May 2003, prior to the Rose Revolution.  The data collected is used to gauge public opinion, and to assist IRI’s political party partners build platforms based on the issues of greatest concern to the Georgian people.

The randomly selected sample of 3,998 men and women of voting age was collected nationwide.  The study was designed and analyzed by Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization, and was fielded by the Institute for Polling and Marketing under the supervision of IRI.  The margin of error for the national sample does not exceed plus or minus 1.5 percent with a response rate of 70 percent.