Georgian diaspora

Map of the Georgian diaspora in the world (includes people with Georgian ancestry or citizenship).

  Georgia

  + 100,000

  + 10,000

  + 1,000

The Georgian diaspora refers to both historical and present emigration from Georgia. The countries with the largest Georgian communities outside Georgia are Turkey and Russia. The Georgian diaspora, or the dispersion of Georgian people outside of Georgia, began to take shape during various historical periods. However, a significant wave of emigration occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly during times of political upheaval, such as the Russian Empire's expansion into the Caucasus region and the Soviet era.

Geographic distribution

Country/territory	Ethnic Georgians (latest official)	Ethnic Georgians (low est.)	Ethnic Georgians (high est.)	People born in Georgia (of any ethnicity)	Citizens of Georgia
Russia	112,765(2021 Russian census) [2] 700,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]		600,000–800,000 [4] 1,000,000(Georgian Union in the Russian Federation) [4]	436,442(2010 Russian census) [5]
Greece	200,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]			43,272(2017) [6]	13,334(2017) [7]
United States	120,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]			17,522(2014) [6]	9,767(2017) [7]
Turkey	90,000(1965) [8] 45,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]	100,000–151,000 [9] [10]	1,000,000 [11] –1,500,000 [12] [13]		19,784(2016) [7]
Italy	50,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]			14,585(2017) [6]	18,272 (2020) [7]
Germany	50,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]			18,000(2017) [6]	46,500(2023) [14]
France	35,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]			16,700(2019) [15]
Ukraine	34,200(2001 census) [16]			71,015(2001) [17]
Spain	25,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]			10,612(2017) [6]	11,078(2017) [7]
Belgium	25,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]			530(2017) [6]	2,120(2017) [7]
Israel	20,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]
United Kingdom	10,000(2025 Georgian MFA unofficial estimate) [3]			2,187(2013) [18]
Azerbaijan	9,900(2009 census) [19]
Kazakhstan	4,990(2009 census) [20]
Canada	4,775(2016 census) [21]			2,570(2016) [22]
Belarus	2,400(2009 census) [23]
Latvia	1,129(2011 census) [24]			1,289(2017) [6]
Armenia	617(2011 census) [25]			49,322(2011) [26]
Moldova	501(2004 census) [27]
Lithuania	372(2011 census) [28]
Austria				3,635(2017) [6]	3,406(2017) [7]
Czech Republic				1,765(2022) [6]
Sweden				1,437(2017) [6]
Switzerland				935(2017) [6]
Estonia				910(2017) [6]
Ireland				1,180(2022) [29]	3,782 [29]
Australia				670(2017) [6]
Portugal					490 (2022) [30]
Brazil					413 (2024) [31]
Norway				325(2017) [6]
Hungary				302(2017) [6]
Denmark				229(2017) [6]
Luxembourg				98(2017) [6]
Finland				91(2017) [6]
Slovakia				85(2017) [6]
Slovenia				35(2017) [6]
Iceland				25(2017) [6]
Poland	10,000 [32]			436(2003) [6]	138(2010) [7]
New Zealand				60(2014) [6]
Mexico				45(2016) [6]

Notable people of Georgian descent

Main category: People of Georgian descent

John Shalikashvili, a United States Army General who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Supreme Allied Commander from 1993 to 1997.

• David Bagration of Mukhrani, a claimant to the headship of the Royal House of Georgia and to the historical thrones of Georgia.
• Jorge de Bagration, a Spanish racing car driver of Georgian descent and a claimant to the headship of the Royal House of Georgia and to the historical throne of Georgia.
• George Balanchine, one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers.
• Paata Tsikurishvili, Founding Artistic Director & CEO of highly acclaimed Synetic Theater in Washington DC metropolitan USA 2001–present. synetictheater.org
• Irina Tsikurishvili, Founding Choreographer of Synetic Theater. Most celebrated choreographer in DMV region.
• David Baramidze, a Georgian-born German chess Grandmaster.
• Elena Botchorichvili, a writer
• David Chavchavadze, an American author and a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer of Georgian-Russian origin.
• Maryam d'Abo, an English film and television actress.
• Lasha Darbaidze, a Georgian-born American citizen who holds the positions of Honorary Consul of Georgia and President of the St. George Foundation.
• Anna Dogonadze, a Georgian-born German athlete.
• Nikolay Tsiskaridze, a Georgian-born Russian ballet dancer.
• Anna Chakvetadze, a Russian tennis player of partial Georgian descent.
• Anton Sikharulidze, a Russian figure skater of partial Georgian descent.
• Diana Gurtskaya, a Georgian-born Russian pop singer.
• Keti Topuria, a Georgian-born Russian pop singer.
• Georgi Dzhikiya, a Georgian-born Russian football player.
• Davit Chakvetadze, a Georgian-born Russian wrestler.
• Robert Mshvidobadze, a Georgian-born Russian judoka.
• Yago Abuladze, a Russian judoka of Georgian origin.
• Vernon Duke, an American composer and songwriter.
• Wachtang Djobadze, a Georgian art historian who lived in the United States as an émigré.
• Andrew Eristoff, a Republican Party politician from New York City who serves as New Jersey State Treasurer under Governor Chris Christie.
• Georgiy Gongadze, a Ukrainian journalist of Georgian origin who was kidnapped and murdered in 2000.
• Alex Greenwich, the member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Sydney.
• Michael Gregor, an aircraft engineer of Georgian origin.
• Elly Heuss-Knapp, a German liberal politician and author.
• Tzipi Hotovely, an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for the Likud party.
• Darren Huckerby, an English former professional footballer and academy coach.
• Alexander Kartveli, an influential aircraft engineer and a pioneer of American aviation history.
• María Katzarava, Mexican opera soprano of Georgian descent.
• David Koma, a Georgian born London based fashion designer.
• Vitaliy Kononov, a candidate in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, nominated by the Green Party of Ukraine.
• Kola Kwariani, a Georgian-American professional wrestler and chess player.
• Giorgi Latso, a Georgian-American classical pianist and composer.
• Georges V. Matchabelli, a Georgian nobleman and diplomat, who emigrated to the United States after the 1921 Soviet invasion of Georgia.
• Katie Melua, a Georgian-born British singer, songwriter and musician.
• George Papashvily, a Georgian-American writer and sculptor.
• Irina Shabayeva, the winner of the sixth season of Project Runway along with her model, Kalyn Hemphill.
• John Shalikashvili, a United States Army General who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Supreme Allied Commander from 1993 to 1997.
• Joseph Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dzе Jughashvili), the de facto leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953.
• Tamta, a Greek pop singer famous in Greece and Cyprus.
• Omari Tetradze, a former football player of Georgian Greek descent who, during his playing career, represented Russia at international level.
• Jerzy Tumaniszwili, a Polish naval commander of a Georgian aristocratic descent.
• Ilia Topuria, a German-born Georgian former UFC champion of the world.
• Blaise Metreweli, a British civil servant of Georgian ancestry, and the current chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)

Destinations

Europe

• Georgians in Austria
• Georgians in Belarus
• Georgians in Belgium
• Georgians in Bulgaria
• Georgians in Croatia
• Georgians in Denmark
• Georgians in Estonia
• Georgians in Finland
• Georgians in France
• Georgians in Germany
• Georgians in Greece
• Georgians in Latvia
• Georgians in Lithuania
• Georgians in the Netherlands
• Georgian emigration in Poland
• Georgians in Portugal
• Georgians in Romania
• Georgians in Russia
• Georgians in Spain
• Georgians in Sweden
• Georgians in Ukraine
• Georgians in the United Kingdom
• The World Congress of the Nations of Georgia

North America

• Georgians in Canada
• Georgian Americans

Asia

• Georgians in Cyprus
• Georgians in Iran
• Georgians in Kazakhstan
• Georgians in Turkey

See also

• List of Georgians
• History of Georgia

References

Notes

Citations

1. "Global Migration Map: Origins and Destinations, 1990-2017". Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
2. "Национальный состав населения". Federal State Statistics Service . Retrieved 30 December 2022.
3. "MFA: More than 1.5 Million Georgians Live Abroad". Civil Georgia . 8 March 2025.
4. Chachanidze, Nodar (13 February 2014). ""Over a million Georgians reside in Russia."". factcheck.ge. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2019. For instance, Badri Kutelia, a Georgian sociologist currently living Russia, wrote that: "The number of Georgians living in Russia is somewhere between 600 thousand and 800 thousand." Mikheil Khubutia, President of the Georgian Union in the Russian Federation, asserts that the official figures estimate the number of Georgians living in Russia atone million.
5. "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 г. Население Российской Федерации и ее субъектов по месту рождения". demoscope.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 17 August 2019.
6. "Stock of foreign-born population by country of birth: Georgia". stats.oecd.org. 25 August 2019. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019. Alt URL
7. "Stock of foreign population by nationality: Georgia". stats.oecd.org. 25 August 2019. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019. Alt URL
8. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/1186601 ^{[ bare URL ]}
9. The Other Languages of Europe: Demographic, Sociolinguistic, and Educational Perspectives , p. 420, at Google Books
10. "Turquie: situation générale". Axl.cefan.ulaval.ca. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
11. "Türkiye'deki Kürtlerin sayısı!". 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
12. Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook , p. 291, at Google Books
13. "Ethnic groups in Turkey: Georgians". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
14. "Ausländer: Bundesländer, Stichtag, Geschlecht/Altersjahre/ Familienstand, Ländergruppierungen/Staatsangehörigkeit". Destatis (in German). 31 December 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
15. "Immigrés par pays de naissance détaillé Recensement de la population 2019" (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. 2022-07-26. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
16. "National composition of population". ukrcensus.gov.ua. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019.
17. "Распределение населения по месту рождения". 2001.ukrcensus.gov.ua (in Russian). State Statistics Committee of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019.
18. "Nationality and country of birth by age, sex and qualifications Jan - Dec 2013 (Excel sheet 60Kb)". Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 11 June 2014.
19. Ethnic composition of Azerbaijan 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
20. "Қазақстан Республикасындағы ұлттық құрам, діни наным және тілдерді меңгеру". stat.gov.kz (in Kazakh (Kazakhstan)). Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Statistics committee. p. 4. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
21. "Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Canada, 2016 Census". Statistics Canada. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019.
22. "Immigrant population by place of birth, period of immigration, 2016 counts, both sexes, age (total), Canada, 2016 Census". Statistics Canada. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019.
23. "Ethnic Composition of the Population of the Republic of Belarus". National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus. Archived from the original on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
24. "TSG11-06. Resident population on March 1, 2011 by ethnicity, sex and age group". csb.gov.lv. Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia: Sākumlapa. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019.
25. "Population (urban, rural) by Ethnicity, Sex and Age" (PDF). Population Census 2011. Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2019.
26. "Population by Place of Birth, Sex and Age" (PDF). Population Census 2011. logoStatistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2019.
27. "Eighth and ninth periodic reports of the Republic of Moldovaon the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination" (PDF). geneva.mfa.gov.md. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova. 7 July 2010. p. 5. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019. The membership of small ethnic minorities living in various places across thenational territory is as follows: • Georgians − 501
28. "1 lentelė. Gyventojai pagal tautybę 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2001 ir 2011 metais" (PDF). osp.stat.gov.lt (in Lithuanian). Statistics Lithuania. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2019.
29. Pollak, Sorcha (10 December 2023). "Georgians in Ireland: 'We hear people saying Ireland is full but there's no other options'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
30. "Sefstat 2022" (PDF).
31. Immigrants in Brazil (2024, in Portuguese)
32. "Obywatele Gruzji w Polsce - raport - Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców - Portal Gov.pl".