Tax-free income in Estonia totalled EUR 4.15bn in 2023, according to the Ministry of Finance, ERR reports. In 2023, the tax-free income threshold was EUR 704 per month for pensioners and EUR 654 for working-age individuals. The ministry does not have a current forecast on the amount of tax-free income in 2024. Former prime minister…
House prices in the Baltic States rose the most in Lithuania in the first quarter of 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, house prices increased by 9.9% in Lithuania, 7.8% in Estonia, and 3.7% in Latvia. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, house prices went up…
A recent study reveals a significant increase in the occurrence of heat waves in the Baltic States, particularly Estonia, over the past 30 years, ERR reports. Using data from 40 weather stations in 1951-2021, the study assessed changes in heat waves using five common indices: Number, duration, total days, amplitude, and magnitude, showing a marked…
Estonian shipping group Tallink Grupp transported 1,451,768 passengers in the second quarter of 2024, which was down 5.8% from 1,541,081 in the same period of 2023, ERR reports. Tallink transported 209,760 passenger vehicles in three months, which was down 11.4% from 236,756 vehicles a year earlier. Meanwhile, the company’s ships carried 86,813 cargo units in…
Forestry costs in Latvia increased significantly in 2023 compared to previous years, according to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Forest regeneration costs rose by 6.5-19.3%, forest tending costs by 14.7-50.8%, and timber harvesting costs by 4.4% in final felling and 12.2% in intermediate felling. The overall increase in forestry costs is attributed to higher…
Estonia continues to collect telecommunication data from its citizens despite it being against EU law and the constitution, ERR reports. The European Court of Justice and Estonia’s Supreme Court have concluded that the data collection is illegal. The data include detailed records from telecommunications and internet service providers, which the EU court argues infringes on…
Latvia recorded 14 serious road accidents involving trucks in the first half of 2024, according to statistics from the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), LSM reports. In the whole of 2023, the number of accidents with trucks resulting in grave injury or fatality was 20. CSDD has a team of experts to investigate the circumstances…
Estonia’s Ministry of Justice reported that 66% of legal entities submitted their annual reports for the 2023 fiscal year by the deadline of 1 July 2024, which is an improvement from just 56% a year earlier, ERR reports. A ministry official said that the better compliance was due to recent changes aimed at motivating timely…
Lithuania’s State Data Protection Inspectorate (VDAI) has imposed a fine of EUR 2.39mn on the local online marketplace for second-hand goods, Vinted, for violating consumer data protection laws, BNS reports. The fine follows complaints from French and Polish supervisory authorities and pertains to breaches of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Vinted was found…