The profit share of non-financial corporations in the Baltic States was highest in Lithuania in 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. The profit share of non-financial corporations in Lithuania stood at 41.6%, followed by Estonia with 40.0% and Latvia with 35.6%. The EU average was 40.1%. The business profit share is defined as gross…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments to introduce a reduced 12% value-added tax rate on selected basic food products in 2026, LETA reports. Under the amendments, the lower VAT rate will apply to various bread products, milk, poultry meat, and eggs. The reduced VAT will apply from 1 July 2026 to 30 June…
The average level of consumer prices in Latvia rose by 3.8% in November 2025, compared to the same period of 2024, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. The inflation rate was mainly influenced by the rise in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices (up 5.2%) and an increase in the price…
The number of job vacancies in Estonia totalled 9,375 in the third quarter of 2025, which was 5.4% less than in the same period of 2024, according to data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. The number of vacancies was the highest in education (2,025) and in wholesale and retail trade (1,264). The vacancy rate stood…
An overwhelming majority of Latvians are worried about their life in retirement, according to a Norstat poll for insurance company ERGO, LSM reports. The survey showed that 68% of Latvian residents were anxious about retirement, including 74% of women and 62% of men. The main causes for concern were lack of money (67%), health issues…
The EU should make the implementation of a global minimum corporate income tax voluntary or abolish the tax altogether for small countries like Estonia, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi insisted, ERR reported. He noted that the EU had made the global minimum tax mandatory for member states through a directive, which he said placed EU businesses…
The volume of freight carried by road and air increased in Latvia in the first three quarters of 2025, while the volume of freight carried by rail and sea decreased, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. The volume of road freight totalled 59.2 million tonnes, which was 2% more than…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments raising the excise taxes on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and sweetened beverages as of 2026, BNS reports. The aim is to reduce the consumption of products that are harmful to the environment and health, LSM reports. The excise duty on strong alcoholic beverages will rise as of…
Estonia hopes to receive around EUR 6bn more from than it pays to the EU’s budget for 2028-2034, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said, ERR reports. Under the current budget proposal, Estonia would contribute EUR 4.8bn to the EU’s next multiannual financial framework. Estonia’s national allocation would amount to EUR 6.5bn and funds awarded competitively to…