Lithuania Travel Podcast with Tomas Kazlauskas

Location

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia, west of Belarus

Terrain

Lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Climate

Transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers

Elevation

Highest point

Aukstojas 294 m

Lowest point

Baltic Sea 0 m

Mean elevation

110 m

Area

Total

65,300 sq km

Land

62,680 sq km

Water

2,620 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly larger than West Virginia

Coastline

90 km

Land borders

Total

1,545 km

Border countries

Belarus 640 km; Latvia 544 km; Poland 100 km; Russia (Kaliningrad) 261 km

Natural resources

Peat, arable land, amber

Land use

Agricultural land

45.9% (2023 est.)

Arable land

36.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

0.5% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

8.6% (2023 est.)

Forest

35.3% (2023 est.)

Other

18.8% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Occasional floods, droughts

Note

Fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits

Population

Total

2,815,687 (2025 est.)

Male

1,334,600

Female

1,481,087

Nationality

Noun

Lithuanian(s)

Adjective

Lithuanian

Ethnic groups

Lithuanian 84.6%, Polish 6.5%, Russian 5%, Belarusian 1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.8% (2021 est.)

Languages

Languages

Lithuanian (official) 85.3%, Russian 6.8%, Polish 5.1%, other 1.1%, two mother tongues 1.7% (2021 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

Pasaulio enciklopedija – naudingas bendrosios informacijos šaltinis. (Lithuanian)

Religions

Roman Catholic 74.2%, Russian Orthodox 3.7%, Old Believer 0.6%, Evangelical Lutheran 0.6%, Evangelical Reformist 0.2%, other (including Sunni Muslim, Jewish, Greek Catholic, and Karaite) 0.9%, none 6.1%, unspecified 13.7% (2021 est.)

Median age

Total

44 years (2025 est.)

Male

40.9 years

Female

49.2 years

Life expectancy

Total population

76.1 years (2024 est.)

Male

70.8 years

Female

81.7 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

68.7% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

-0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Fairly even population distribution throughout the country, but somewhat greater concentrations in the southern cities of Vilnius and Kaunas, as well as the western port of Klaipeda

Largest cities

541,000 VILNIUS (capital) (2023)

Background

Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, Lithuania extended its territory through alliances and conquest to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795 when surrounding countries partitioned its remnants. Lithuania regained its independence after World War I, but the USSR annexed it in 1940 -- an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. In 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until 1991. The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into West European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in 2004. In 2015, Lithuania joined the euro zone, and it joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2018.

Government

Semi-presidential republic

Capital

Vilnius

Time zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Lietuvos Respublika

Independence

16 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia and Germany); 11 March 1990 (declared from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS, traditional founding date); 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

National day

Independence Day (or National Day), 16 February (1918)

Overview

High-income EU and eurozone member, largest Baltic economy; recovery supported by private consumption and EU fund-driven investments; structural challenges include pension reform, aging workforce, and high energy-import costs

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$47,200 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$46,200 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$46,700 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

0.7% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

9.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

19.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

7.6% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

6.9% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

6% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, televisions, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture, textiles, food processing, fertilizer, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, lasers, electronic components, computers, amber jewelry, information technology, video game development, app/software development, biotechnology

Agriculture

Wheat, milk, sugar beets, rapeseed, barley, potatoes, triticale, oats, beans, peas (2023)

Airports

64 (2025)

Railways

Total 1,911 km (2020) 152 km electrified

Ports

Total ports

2 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

1

Small

0

Very small

1

Ports with oil terminals

2

Key ports

Butinge Oil Terminal, Klaipeda

Internet domain

.lt

Internet users

Percent of population 89% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

3.97 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

139 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Water pollution; air pollution; deforestation; groundwater pollution from chemicals and waste; soil degradation and erosion

Fresh water

24.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)