Over the last five years, Armenia’s average economic growth has been 7.6 percent, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan stated during Wednesday’s National Assembly session debates on the 2026 state budget draft.

“I am glad that the 5.4 percent GDP growth forecast for 2026 is no longer a sensation,” Hovhannisyan added.

According to the minister, in line with the government’s declared policy, Armenia’s economic growth has been inclusive. It has been accompanied, on the one hand, by employment growth, and on the other hand, by an increase in average wages, which significantly exceeds the inflation rate, as well as by a reduction in inequality and poverty levels.

“As of 2024, the poverty rate [in Armenia] has decreased by 2 percentage points to 21.7 percent, and the extreme poverty rate has fallen from 1.1 percent to 0.6 percent,” the Armenian government member assured.