More than half of Lithuanians say they have either not considered or ruled out actively contributing to the country’s defence forces, according to a survey released by the Defence Ministry on Wednesday.
The results show that 10 percent of respondents have considered and rejected the possibility of joining the country’s defence forces, while 61 percent have neither thought about it nor planned to do so. About one in ten said they have not considered it yet but might in the future.
Moreover, 11 percent of those polled said they have considered and are still considering contributing to the country’s defence, but have not yet made a decision. Three percent plan to do so in the near future, and 4 percent have already made that decision.
Respondents were asked if they had considered volunteering for military service or contributing to the country’s defence in other ways, such as by joining the paramilitary Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union.
Respondents with higher levels of education and those living in major cities were more likely to consider actively contributing to the country’s defence, the Defence Ministry noted.
It said the representative survey was part of a communication campaign launched in November and December to inform the public of changes in military conscription and attract volunteers to the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The survey aimed to gauge the opinions of the campaign’s target audience and track changes.
Spinter Tyrimai polled 1,016 Lithuanian residents aged 18 to 75 between October 18 and 29.
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