Altogether 12,294 Lithuanian citizens returned to Lithuania while 11,753 moved away from the country in the first nine months of 2026, according to the State Data Agency’s preliminary statistics, LRT reported. In September 2026, the number of emigrants was higher than that of returnees. Until now, the number of Lithuanians returning home has been higher than of those leaving the country for six consecutive years. More men than women, mostly of working age, are emigrating. The main reasons for emigration include high housing costs, rising prices for consumer goods and services, and competition in the labour market. The main destinations of emigrants are the UK, Norway, and Germany. The government is considering providing financial support to encourage emigrants to return to Lithuania.
Currently, there are around 227,000 foreign nationals with residence permits in Lithuania, LRT reports. In the beginning of September 2026, the biggest groups of foreign residents in the country were Ukrainians (80,300), Belarusians (47,900), Russians (13,300), Uzbekistanis (12,600), and Indians (9,400), according to the Lithuanian Migration Department, LRT reported. Since the beginning of 2024, the number of Filipinos in Lithuania has increased by 5,100, Indians by 4,800, Uzbekistanis by 4,400, Pakistanis by 2,500, and Tajikistanis by 1,800. However, in terms of country of origin, “other countries” was the largest category of foreign nationals living in Lithuania in both 2023 and 2024, meaning that people from an increasing number of different countries were moving to settle in Lithuania.
Around 175,000 foreigners were employed in Lithuania in the beginning of 2026, according to the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists. In 2024, non-EU citizens accounted for 10% of all employed people in Lithuania, according to the Bank of Lithuania. Non-EU citizens accounted for 46% of the total workforce in the transportation and storage sector, 16% in construction, 11% in accommodation and food services, and 8% in real estate and administrative services. Meanwhile, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has proposed new restrictions on migrant labour. However, eight trade union organisations in Lithuania expressed opposition to the proposals, warning that the new rules would make foreign workers more dependent on their employers, BNS reported. The organisations urged the president, the government, and the parliament, the Seimas, to reassess the proposals.