With the high level of poverty, it is not surprising that many Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Georgians borrow money to buy food. In Armenia, the number of households that have to borrow money regularly has grown from 13% in 2007 to 31% in 2010. Nearly a third of all Armenian families borrow money MONTHLY to buy…
To me, this is the most telling analysis of all. (In my series of economic wellbeing in the Caucasus, analysis of Caucasus Barometer data.) About a quarter to a third of Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Georgians say that they do not have enough money for food. Further, another third (give or take), although they can buy…
Following on the consumption theme, it appears that about half of all Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Georgians have debt. And few Armenians and Georgians have any savings (Azerbaijanis are slightly more likely to have savings). While this isn’t the most mind blowing analysis, it is interesting to get some insight on how people are managing their…
More on the topic of consumption… now on to durable goods and ownership in Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian households. TVs and DVD players: Everyone, more or less, in Armenia and Azerbaijan has a TV. Interestingly, less than two-thirds of Georgians in 2007 had a TV — is this a refugee issue? An electricity issue? (Electricity…
Sanitation — not the most interesting of topics, but nonetheless telling. Anyone that has visited the Caucasus can tell you that trash is problematic. And anyone that has travelled outside of the capital cities can discuss outhouses / outdoor toliet facilities. Taking into consideration that Armenia is the most urban of the three countries, it…
This begins a series of blogs looking at comparative economic wellbeing in the Caucasus. My primary questions are: who is doing well? Is wealth changing over time? and What are the differences/similarities between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. (This is Caucasus Barometer 2007-2010). The first topic is utilities. Some scholars argue that access to utilities is…
As I’ve discussed before, the sex ratio imbalance in the Caucasus is of great concern. In this region that already faces instability, the 2 consequences of sex imbalance (first general population decline, second more boys than girls) could have dire consequences. In other sex-imbalanced countries, the labor market decreases which slows economic growth. Men can’t…
I’ve been working on a project recently looking at lack of awareness of the Internet. In the U.S. we take for granted that most people know what the Internet is and have a general sense of what it can do, even if they don’t use it themselves. However, even in the U.S., there were (and…
With recent reports about sex ratio imbalance in Armenia, a quick analysis of the Caucasus Barometer brings insight into the state of women in Armenia. Armenians certainly prefer boys, especially in rural areas. But even in regional cities and Yerevan, nearly half of Armenians state a preference for a boy. Moreover, Armenians (and Azerbaijanis and…
Is there a “migration crisis” in the Caucasus? Maybe! There seems to be an increase in interest in migration in Armenia and in Azerbaijan and Georgia, while interest is high, it remains relatively stable. Based on the Caucasus Barometer, 40% of Georgians, half of Azerbaijanis, and 59% of Armenians are interested in temporary migration (This…