Poverty in Lithuania has increased across the country, particularly in remote regions, LRT reports. Nearly 700,000 people are living below the poverty risk threshold. The average poverty level in rural areas is almost twice as high as in cities. In some municipalities, every third resident is living in poverty. Ugne Uzgale, head of strategy and…
Less than half of Latvians saw their income rise in 2025, according to a Norstat survey for Luminor Bank, LSM reports. In the survey, 41% of Latvian residents reported that their income had increased in 2025. Specifically, 27% said that their income had increased by up to 10%, another 10% by 10-15%, and 7% by…
Estonia’s GDP will grow by 3.6% in 2026, but economic growth will slow down to 2.5% by 2028, according to the Bank of Estonia’s latest forecast, ERR reports. Growth in 2026 will be driven by increased exports and government stimulus, the central bank said. The general government budget deficit will be the largest in 30…
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…
Gender equality in Lithuania improved in 2025, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality’s (EIGE) Gender Equality Index, BNS reports. Lithuania ranked 14th out of 27 EU member states, which was up from 16th place in 2024. Lithuania’s national score on the equality index was 60.9 out of 100 points, which was below the…
Latvians are not buying homes due to high prices, insufficient savings and income, and economic uncertainty, according to a Norstat survey carried out for Luminor Bank in September 2025, LSM reports. The survey showed that 27% of Latvian residents cited high real estate prices as the main obstacle to buying a home. Another 24% of…
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…
The Latvian government plans to raise the personal income tax (PIT) for those with high income in 2025, LETA reports. Under the plan, the government will introduce an additional 3% PIT rate for those with income of over EUR 200,000 per year. The additional tax will apply to all taxable income, including capital gains. At…
Latvia’s State Revenue Service (VID) will contact 260 construction companies that are paying atypically low wages to their workers, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with LTV, VID director general Baiba Smite-Roke noted that the companies were paying wages that were significantly lower than the average. The aim was to ascertain whether the companies were…