Altogether 564,800 households in Estonia, which is 95% of all households, now have internet access, which is 20,000 more than in 2024, according to Statistics Estonia’s survey, Estonian World reports. The survey shows that almost 100% of people aged 16-54 years use the internet. Also, internet use has increased markedly among the elderly as people…
Lithuanians are the most active savers in the Baltic States, according to a September 2025 poll for Luminor Bank, The Baltic Times reports. In the survey, 23% of Lithuanians, 17% of Estonians, and 14% of Latvians said that they were able to save more than 10% of their income regularly. As many as 43% of…
Most banks in Latvia will be eligible for rebates on so-called solidarity tax payments in 2025, according to the Bank of Latvia, LETA reports. The central bank noted that the growth of lending has been appreciably faster in 2025. Therefore, most banks will qualify for discounts on their solidarity contributions, amounting to 25-100%. The new…
Almost a third of consumers in Latvia still pay in cash, according to a report from financial technology platform Adyen, Labs of Latvia reports. The data showed that 29% of Latvian consumers prefer to pay in cash. Around a third of those aged 30 and those aged 60 as well as a quarter of 20-year-olds…
Estonia’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) checked around 2,000 bank statements without legal authority, Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise announced, ERR reports. FIU had obtained full bank statements via the data exchange layer connected to the enforcement register, whereas the law only allows FIU access to basic information about bank accounts. FIU told ERR that it…
Lithuania’s State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) found no tax violations at a startup company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, BNS reports. VMI initiated checks at battery system developer Garnis, of which Paluckas owns 49%, in June 2025, following a request from the chairman of the opposition Homeland Union, MP Laurynas Kasciunas. Earlier, the state-owned national…
People in Latvia are more optimistic about their financial situation, according to a new SKDS poll for Luminor Bank conducted in December 2024, Baltic News Network reports. The survey showed that 42% of respondents expected their financial situation to improve in 2025, with 22% expecting much better and 21% slightly better finances. Meanwhile, 24% of…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved the state budget for 2025, LSM reports. The budget foresees revenues of EUR 18.4bn, while expenditure is planned at EUR 19.7bn. The estimated budget deficit will thus amount to EUR 1.3bn or 2.9% of the GDP. The key budget priorities are internal and external security and competitiveness. The…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has passed in final reading a new tax on local credit institutions, LETA reports. Under the new law, credit institutions registered in Latvia and branches of foreign credit institutions will have to make quarterly solidarity contributions for the next three years. The tax will amount to 60% of their excess…