Lithuania is grappling with a worsening demographic crisis, with nearly 11,000 fewer babies born last year than a decade ago. The decline has alarmed policymakers, who are calling for urgent action to revive regions, adjust migration policies, improve access to assisted reproduction and expand family benefits.
In Rokiškis District, deaths outnumbered births five to one in the past month. Six couples married, but an equal number divorced – figures that residents say reflect broader social and economic pressures.
“Wages are low – that’s the first problem. Do you know how much it costs to raise a child?” one resident said. Another noted that “all the young people leave for the cities, and only grandparents stay here”.
The trend extends nationwide. Slightly more than 30,000 children were born in Lithuania a decade ago, but almost 11,000 fewer arrived last year.
Since the restoration of independence, the country’s population has shrunk by nearly one-fifth. More than half of Lithuanians view the demographic situation negatively, according to the initiative Auginu Lietuvą (I’m Raising Lithuania).
“Families choose not to have children because they feel financially insecure. They want more freedom, more travel, more time for themselves. They’re afraid of the change that starting a family brings,” said Auginu Lietuvą founder Asta Radzevičienė. She added that 10% of respondents cited fear of war as a reason to remain childless.
Daumantas Stumbrys, an associate professor at Vilnius University, said Lithuania now has a natural population decline of about 20,000 people annually, offset only by positive migration flows.
Birthrates are lowest in rural regions, where fewer young women are settling. Audrius Klišonis, president of the Association of Local Authorities, said reversing regional decline must become a priority.
“One of the most important steps is creating well-paid jobs in the regions – relocating production from major cities,” Klišonis said.
Health Minister Marija Jakubauskienė warned that the consequences are already visible, especially in the workforce. “Rapid aging is felt across society and in the health sector. We see that about half of all nurses are already over 55,” she said.
Jakubauskienė said the government is working to expand access to assisted reproduction. Social Security and Labour Minister Jūratė Zailskienė said eligibility for child-care compensation will broaden to include families in which one parent works and the other is a student or in vocational training, residency or doctoral studies.
Radzevičienė urged more support for premature infants and the adoption of European neonatal care standards to ensure services remain available in shrinking regions where hospitals are closing.
The demographic crisis is not unique to Lithuania. Eurostat data show that births across the European Union fell by nearly 5.5% in 2023 compared with the previous year.
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