The Estonian government has decided not to privatise four state-owned energy, real estate, digital services, and lottery firms, ERR reports. The decision applies to four state-owned enterprises controlled by the Ministry of Finance: energy group Eesti Energia, state real estate manager Riigi Kinnisvara Aktsiaselts (RKAS), digital services company Levira, and lottery operator Eesti Loto. The…
Latvia’s annual inflation rate reached 2.9% in April 2026, compared to the corresponding period of 2025, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) data, LSM reports. The rise in inflation was mainly influenced by increases in the prices of fuel, heating, electricity, health care, and catering and accommodation services. Compared to March 2026, average consumer…
Lithuania’s GDP will grow by 3.2% in 2026 and 2.1% in 2027, according to SEB Bank’s latest macroeconomic forecast, Lietuvos Rytas reports. The bank thus kept its GDP forecast unchanged from January 2026. The bank raised its projection for annual inflation in Lithuania to 5.7% in 2026 due to increased energy prices. In 2027, inflation…
Latvia’s foreign trade turnover totalled EUR 10.85bn at current prices in the first quarter of 2026, which was up EUR 113.8mn (1.1%) from the corresponding period of 2025, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. The total value of exports amounted to EUR 4.97bn (down 1.7%) and of imports to…
The number of unemployed people in Lithuania totalled 146,700 at the end of April 2026, which was 8,400 fewer than a month earlier, according to the Lithuanian Employment Service (UzT), ELTA reports. The country’s unemployment rate stood at 8.1%, which was down from 8.5% a month earlier. Unemployment declined in all municipalities for the second…
Latvia has received the fourth or penultimate payment of EUR 371.2mn from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, LSM reports. The European Commission approved the successful implementation of 41 specific reforms and investments set out in Latvia’s national recovery plan. Latvia has already received almost EUR 1.5bn (75%) of the total EUR 1.97bn recovery funds…
The number of multinational corporations in the Baltic States was highest in Estonia in 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Estonia had 1,199 multinationals in 2024, which was down slightly from 1,220 in 2023. Meanwhile, Lithuania had 984 (1,035) and Latvia 746 (718) multinational enterprises. In 2018, Estonia had as many as 1,529 multinationals,…
Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) issued 19,900 temporary residence permits to non-EU nationals who invested in the Latvian economy in the period from 1 July 2010 to the end of 2024, LETA reported. According to the Ministry of Economy, the so-called golden visa programme was “an important instrument” for attracting foreign capital…
Over 500 experts and decision-makers from across the Baltic Sea region will attend the 17th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, on 11-13 May 2026, BNS reports. The central theme of this year’s forum is resilience. The conference participants will discuss regional security and…