Around 50 members of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, have proposed holding a popular referendum on redefining the concept of family in the country’s constitution, LRT reports. The MPs argue that the Constitutional Court exceeded its authority when ruling that the concept of family was gender-neutral and not exclusive to married couples, and that limiting…
Nearly a half (48.2%) of Latvians felt in good or very good health in 2025, which was up from 35.1% in 2005, according to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. The survey data showed that 43.7% of Latvian residents aged 16 years and older rated their health as good and 4.5% as very good….
As many as 15% of Lithuanians have given a monetary bribe or other form of compensation for medical services in recent years, according to a Baltijos Tyrimai poll for LRT. Meanwhile, around 75% of respondents said that they had not bribed medical staff. Another 9% said that they had not visited a medical facility at…
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…
Gender equality in Latvia worsened sharply in 2025, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality’s (EIGE) Gender Equality Index, LETA reports. Latvia ranked 24th out of 27 EU member states on the index in 2025, which was down from 19th place in 2024. Latvia scored 56.7 points on gender equality, which was down from…
People in Estonia are getting married at an ever later age, according to data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. In 2023, just 24% of men and 34% of women were under 30 years old when they got married, compared to 60-70% in 1993. Meanwhile, 51% of newly married men and 46% of women were 30-44…
Most drivers in Latvia exceed the speed limit daily, according to a Norstat poll for insurance company ERGO, BNS reports. The survey showed that 67% of Latvian drivers violate speed limits every day, including 74% of male and 60% of female drivers. Meanwhile, 48% of drivers have never been ticketed for speeding, while 42% have…
The number of unemployed people in Latvia totalled 62,000 in June 2024, which was 500 more than in the same period of 2023, but 900 less than in May 2024, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) estimate, LSM reports. Altogether 32,600 men and 29,400 women were unemployed. Latvia’s actual unemployment rate stood at 6.5%…
The unadjusted gender pay gap in the Baltic States was highest in Estonia in 2022, according to Eurostat data, LSM reported. In Estonia, women’s average gross hourly wage was 21.3% lower than that of men in 2022, which was up from 20.5% in 2021. The gender pay gap stood at 17.1% (14.6%) in Latvia and…