The people of the South Caucasus aspirefor their countries to become strong middle-class societies,and they are on track to make that aspiration a reality. Twodecades of social and economic progress have changed thesocieties of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The notableimprovements that people in the region have experienced arereflected in better living standards that allowed poverty tobe reduced by half in the 12 years between 2005 and 2017.Yet, to consolidate middle-class societies, the governmentsof the South Caucasus need to do more to achieve thestability and resilience enjoyed by their more advancedpeers in Europe and Central Asia. Sustainable economicgrowth, poverty reduction, and shared prosperity requirethat the full potential of all geographical andadministrative areas, population groups, and economicsectors be realized. This boo analyzes spatial, social, andeconomic mobility in the South Caucasus. The book arguesthat Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have not yetintegrated important geographical areas and populationsegments in full economic participation and socialdevelopment. Economic gains have not been uniformly andequitably translated into greater welfare and opportunityamong all households and individuals. The main conclusion isthat sustainable growth, poverty reduction, and theconsolidation of the middle class require that theinstitutional and physical foundations of greater and moreequitable economic and social mobility be secured in theSouth Caucasus. Understanding and removing the constraintsto the development of lagging districts; leveragingopportunities for agglomeration; linking geographical areas,peoples, and markets; fostering equality in access to betterjobs; and making sure that high-quality education and basicservices are available to all individuals and areas are crucial.
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