**One in Five Georgians Live Abroad**
More than 1.5 million Georgian citizens live outside the country, said Vladimir Konstantinidi, Deputy Foreign Minister. This is a large number compared to Georgia‘s total population of 3.7 million.
The exact figure is not known because many Georgians are living illegally abroad. The Ministry’s information comes from data received from embassies and the diaspora, but it may not be accurate.
**Where Do Georgians Live Abroad?**
According to Vladimir Konstantinidi, the largest numbers of Georgian citizens live in:
* Russia: 700,000
* Greece: 200,000
* United States: 120,000
* Italy and Germany: 50,000 each
* Turkey: 45,000
* France: 35,000
* Spain: 25,000
* Belgium: 20,000
* Israel and the UK: 10,000 each
**Diaspora Issue Important in Elections**
The issue of Georgians living abroad was important during last year’s parliamentary elections. Many Georgians had difficulty voting because there were not enough polling stations outside the country.
As a result, many people who wanted to vote were unable to do so. The opposition parties won a landslide victory among emigrants, but the turnout could have been higher if it had been easier for them to vote.
President Salome Zurabishvili later appealed to the Constitutional Court about the elections, saying that the state had failed to streamline voting rights for emigrants. However, the appeal was rejected.