For the last fifty years, Georgia has already been a demographically aged country. Its diverse natural geographical landscape and ethnic and religious diversity considerably determine the regional specifics of the country's demographic and economic development. Therefore, an in-depth study of the changes in the population of an individual region of Georgia is a necessary prerequisite for the rational functioning of the regional labour market.
During the research, the information base provided by the National Statistics Office of Georgia was used for the analysis, both through general population censuses and current registration of population. The region of Kakheti was selected as the research area. This was caused by the following circumstances: a) Kakheti region is an important agricultural region of Georgia. It has landscape and climatic contrasts. The sectoral structure of the economy is less diversified, which creates acute problems in the use of the labour potential.
b) Kakheti borders Russia and Azerbaijan, and unlike other regions, it has the largest share of the land border of Georgia (35%). This creates many specific problems in the functioning of its settlement system and demo-economic development.
c) The ethnic structure of Kakheti region is diverse that has a special effect on the demographic development of the region. Currently, there is a high rate of demographic aging in the Kakheti region.
In the paper, the process of demographic ageing is defined and evaluated by the system of indicators of the level and depth of the old age population, also using the scale proposed by French demographer J. Beauge-Garnier and modified by E. Rosset
It was determined that the Kakheti region has crossed the threshold of demographic ageing since 1959. In particular, the share of people aged 60 and older is 12% or more. According to the 2014 population census, the median age of the population was 41 years. Due to the intensive process of depopulation that started in the 1990s and continues to this day, the age structure of the population has become even more deformed, and the median age has also increased. The economic crisis that developed in the post-Soviet period, followed by a sharp fall in the standard of living, led to an extremely intensive emigration of the population, both within and outside the country. The region has lost a large number of qualified labour force.
The analysis of mortality according to the causes of death revealed that in Kakheti, as in the rest of Georgia, the primary cause of death is diseases of the cardiovascular system. This is followed by cancer, diseases of the respiratory system, injuries and poisoning. The pandemic took its toll on this region as well. If in 2020 the Kakheti region was almost referred to as the “green zone”, in 2021 the number of the individuals who died from the corona virus is second only to those who died from cardiovascular diseases. It should also be noted that, unlike other causes of death, since 2015, deaths from respiratory diseases have been characterized by an increasing trend, which has been maintained to this day. This fact should be taken into account when developing a regional health policy.
The analysis of the population of the Kakheti region by the municipalities comprising it revealed that all of them are characterized by a particularly high level of demographic aging. Among them, Kiziki, in particular, Sighnaghi and Dedoplistskaro municipalities stand out. Every third resident here is 60 years old or older.
In the Kakheti region, the share of the population aged 80 and older in the entire population aged 60 and older is very high (17%). Among the population over 60 years old in Dedoplistskaro municipality, every fifth person is 80 years old and older, which indicates the deep ageing of the population. As for the number of people aged 100 and over, Kakheti is not an outstanding region with this respect. There are only 16 individuals here falling within this category.
Finally, it was established that over the last 80 years, the process of deformation of the age structure of the population of Kakheti has been continuous, which is manifested in the ageing of the population. This is manifested in the increase of the population of retirement age, which is caused by the intensive emigration of the population from this side, both within and outside the country. The current situation has affected the labour supply in the given region.
The settlements located near the border in the Kakheti region are characterized by the continuous process of depopulation. Reduction of the local able-bodied population increases the so-called demographic pressure of densely populated bordering countries, which in the case of liberalization of movements across the borders will lead to an intensive influx of people from the outside and complicate the political situation in the Caucasus region that is saturated with ethnic conflicts.
For the stability of the demographic development of the Kakheti region, the radical expansion of the employment spectrum of the population and the purposeful sectoral diversification of the economy is of great importance. The focus on agriculture alone cannot stop the extremely intensive process of migration. A conveniently located and densely populated, the so-called strip accommodation system facilitates the formation of high urban services, which will be supported by the completion of the construction of the network of modern motor roads, as well as the formation of comfortable living conditions in recreationally favourable rural areas, and the equalization of the cultural living conditions of this region with those of large towns and cities. All this creates all the conditions for the formation of the so-called "stationary population" model in the Kakheti region. Also, we consider that in addition to the activation of the demographic policy in Kakheti, there is a need to set up gradually organized settlements of the population relocated from land-starved, low-income, ecologically unstable regions.

Keywords: Georgia, Kakheti, Demographic aging, Age, Depopulation.
JEL Codes: J10, J11, J14

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