According to an article in today’s The Financial regarding emigration trends in the South Caucasus, 64% of Armenians would leave Armenia for a certain period, while fewer Azerbaijanis - 52%, and Georgians - 47%, would do the same.

The article focuses on the phenomenon called the “Brain Drain” - when the more skilled people emigrate -- i.e., leave their country of residence and citizenship heading to a more advanced country.

Muhammad Asali, ISET Professor, Ph.D., Columbia University, 2008, believes that it really does hurt local economies.

“Not only is this a harmful phenomenon, but it is also self-sustained; the vicious circle goes as follows: skilled workers emigrate because there are no good opportunities for them in the country of origin: no job offers, low wages, high unemployment, job possibilities not matching their skills and abilities. Once they leave, however, all these problems become worse -- because the potential driving force of development (skilled and educated workers) are not there anymore, infrastructure and opportunities deteriorate -- rendering additional waves of out migration,” added Asali.

The data, compiled by the Caucasus Barometer (compiled by The Caucasus Research Resource Centers) CRRC also shows that Armenians are more willing to permanently leave their country - 29%, than the Azerbaijanis - 17%, and Georgians - 7%.

Ethnic Armenians within Georgia alone are also more likely to permanently emigrate from the country than the other internal ethnic groups. 42% of the ethnic Armenian population in Georgia reported desire to leave Georgia forever compared to 7% of ethnic Azerbaijanis and 6% of ethnic Georgians within the country.

Additionally, there is a pattern in which people who have travelled abroad are more inclined to emigrate in all three countries. Nearly eight-in-ten Azerbaijanis, 78% who have once travelled abroad, would temporarily leave the country followed by 71% who travelled abroad twice or more, and 48% for those who have never travelled abroad. Similarly, 71% Armenians who have been abroad at least once are more interested in temporary migration than their compatriots who have never travelled, 48%, outside Armenia.