Demographic situation

Largely flat and covered with forests, Lithuania covers a land area of 65 286 km2. Forests cover one third of the country’s territory, which affects the density of the urban areas. The most populated areas are the counties of the biggest cities, Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. The population density of these three cities at the start of 2020 was 84.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (inhabitants/km2), 69.6 inhabitants/km2 and 61.3 inhabitants/km2, respectively. The density is slowly growing in these three counties. The counties with the lowest population densities are Tauragė (20.8 inhabitants/km2) and Utena (17.4 inhabitants/km2) with the density declining every year [i].

According to Statistics Lithuania, Lithuania’s population at the start of 2021 was 2 795 175 inhabitants. The number of inhabitants has finally stabilised and increased by 1 000 compared to last year; this increase has been definitely influenced by BREXIT and the COVID-19 pandemic. The population has been declining in recent years for various reasons, such as negative natural population change, mortality and emigration.

After a slight rise in 2005-2009, the birth rate has been steady in recent years and dropped in 2020. The natural population change (increase/decrease) is still negative. In 2020, the aggregate birth rate indicator was 1.60 (compared with 1.39 in 2000, 1.29 in 2005, 1.5 in 2010 and 1.70 in 2015).[ii]

Number of newborns

*Preliminary data

Source: Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics: population, fertility, live births (Gimusieji) (last accessed: 21/3/2021)

Natural population change (increase/decrease)

Source: Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics, population, fertility, natural population change (Natūrali gyventojų kaita) (last accessed: 21/3/2021)

Average life expectancy [iii] is slowly increasing, standing at 76.43 years in 2019 (compared with 72.14 in 2000, 71.25 in 2005 and 73.19 in 2010). The average life expectancy for men is about 10 years less than it is for women – about 71 years of age for men and about 81 for women. 

As in many other countries around the world, Lithuania has an ageing population. There has been a significant decrease in the number of school-aged children and teenagers over the last decade, while at the same time there has been a rise in the number of seniors as a percentage of the total population. These demographic changes, together with the widespread problem of emigration (see below), are having a direct impact on education. With the decline in the number of pupils and students, incentives to foster the optimization of the network of educational institutions, are being prepared. Measures are being taken to rejuvenate the pedagogical sector and adapt to the needs of the network.

Percentage of population by age at the beginning of the year

*Preliminary data

Source: Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics, population and its composition, resident population at the beginning of the year (Nuolatinių gyventojų skaičius metų pradžioje) (last accessed: 21/3/2021)

From 1990 to 2021, the number of inhabitants in Lithuania fell by almost 900 000. 

Employment and unemployment

According to Statistics Lithuania, the unemployment rate has been decreasing each year, but there has been a strong increase since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, it stood at 8.5%. Meanwhile, the employment rate has been increasing each year and decreased by only 0.5% last year.

Unemployment and employment rate in Lithuania (%)*

*Average annual rate

Source: **Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics, employment and unemployment, unemployment rate (Nedarbo lygis)(last accessed: 21/3/2021)

***Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics, employment and unemployment, employment rate (Užimtumo lygis) (last accessed: 21/3/2021)

People aged 15-29 not in education or employment (NEET) (%)

Source: Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics, employment and unemployment, annual labour force, employment and unemployment indicators, young people neither in employment nor in education and training (Nedirbantis, nesimokantis ir mokymuose nedalyvaujantis jaunimas) (last accessed: 21/3/2021)

Migration

In 2020, 23 103 inhabitants emigrated from Lithuania. Over the last year, the rate of emigration has reduced with the number of immigrants exceeding the number of emigrants for the first time in many years. Approximately two-thirds of emigrants are citizens of Lithuania. In 2020, the decline in emigration was due to COVID-19. The number of immigrants increased significantly due to the arrival of Belarusians and Ukrainians and returning Lithuanian citizens. The increased in the number of Lithuanians returning was affected by both the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the pandemic. Meanwhile, foreigners, most of them from Belarus and Ukraine, come to Lithuania to look for work. Jobseekers sometimes come with their families, so the education system needs to rethink the policy of integrating foreign children into the education system.

Migration outflow

*The spike in emigration in 2010 was caused not only by the economic crisis but also by the obligation to pay health insurance fees according to a new law. Both factors persuaded more people to leave the country and seek a more prosperous life elsewhere.

Source: Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics, migration, international migration, emigrants (Emigrantai), immigrants (Imigrantai) and Lithuanian nationals who returned to Lithuania (Grįžę Lietuvos Respublikos piliečiai) (last accessed: 21/3/2021).

There is also internal migration. Recent years have seen a trend of moving from the cities to rural areas, however, in recent years the number of people traveling from towns to village has decreased and is almost the same as the number moving from rural areas to town. In 2020, 23 542 people moved from rural areas to cities, and 24 432 who moved from cities to rural areas. The total number of those who moved to the cities and migrated between cities was 12 000 more than those who moved to rural areas and between those areas. This internal migration also raises an issue for the school network.

Languages

The official language of the Republic of Lithuania is Lithuanian.

According to data from the general population census of 2011, 84.2% of residents were Lithuanians, 6.6% were Poles, 5.8% were Russians and 2.3% were Belarusians, Ukrainians and other nationalities. There were 154 nationalities living in Lithuania, according to the same census. 

National minorities are recognized in Lithuania. They can teach their children their native language and the history of their nations, foster their culture and follow their religion. There are schools of early childhood education and general education in Lithuania for the different minorities. Education in these institutions is provided both in the Lithuanian language and in the languages of the ethnic minority. Studies for college and university students are also available in languages other than the official language.   

Religion

There is no state religion in Lithuania. However, the biggest faith group is Roman Catholicism. According to the population census in 2011, about 77% those who deemed themselves religious were Catholics. Other religions represented are Russian Orthodox, Old Believers, Evangelical Lutherans, Reformed Evangelicals and other faiths. Around 6% of the population claimed they did not belong to any religious community.

Most educational institutions are secular. At the request of parents, pupils in general education schools are taught religion. The Minister of Education and Science has approved the Concept of the Catholic Education System (Katalikiškojo ugdymo sistemos samprata). The Ministry of Education and Science indicates that 17 general education schools of different types implement elements of this concept or the whole concept. Another concept of education approved by the Minister of Education and Science is the concept of education based on Jesuit pedagogy (Jėzuitų pedagogika grįsta ugdymo Lietuvoje samprata). The Ministry of Education and Science notes that three schools in Lithuania follow  this concept.  

[i] Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics. Population. Population and its composition. Derivative indicators of population numbers. Population density at the beginning of the year (Gyventojų tankis metų pradžioje) (last accessed: 21/3/2021).

[ii] Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics. Population. Fertility. Derivative fertility rates. Total fertility rate (Suminis gimstamumo rodiklis) (last accessed: 21/2/2021).

[iii] Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas): Population and social statistics. Population. Mortality. Derivative mortality rates. Life expectancy (Vidutinė tikėtina gyvenimo trukmė) (last accessed: 21/2/2021).