Problems of middle class in Georgia

There is almost no doubt about the fact that there is almost no middle class in Georgia. There are also some controversial figures concerning the number of people below the poverty line. According to World Bank information around 55% of the Georgian population lives below the poverty line. Official statistics however show this number to be about 25%. According to some other research, around 70-80% of the Georgian population comes close to the poverty line level. Analysts suggest that the major reason for the non existence of a middle class in the country is the state strategy which is targeted at supporting and assisting big business rather than small and medium size businesses. And it is well acknowledged by economists small and medium size businesses create a so called middle class which is the backbone of any successful economy.