Poverty levels have risen across Lithuania, particularly in more remote regions, with some municipalities seeing as many as one in three residents living in poverty. According to the Social Security and Labour Ministry, border areas face a higher risk, largely due to higher unemployment.
In the Akmenė district near the Latvian border, one in three people lives in poverty. Volunteers from the charity Maisto Bankas (Food Bank) say the queues are growing.
“There are many villages around here, and people in villages have always struggled. Jobs have been declining for a long time – there are fewer of them and not enough to go around,” said Marija Rudaitytė, a coordinator at the charity’s Akmenė branch.
“People come in from the villages, and one person told us they had to walk five kilometres to the bus stop and then travel for another half an hour just to reach us and collect their food,” she added.
Once every three months, people in need receive around five kilogrammes of food, including vegetables, fruit, grains, oil and canned goods.
“When mothers come with children, we try to include something sweet for the child, because we might be the only place where they can get a treat,” Rudaitytė said.
Most of those collecting food parcels are older people, but increasingly, young families are also seeking help. Many say they cannot afford everything they need in shops.
“We look for discounts, what’s cheaper and where. We plan what we’ll eat that day and what we’ll buy, because we have to make it last the whole month,” one resident said.
Local authorities say tackling poverty is difficult. Populations in these regions are ageing, and many pensioners are living on low incomes, pushing poverty rates higher. Each year, more money is needed for social support.
“We have a social assistance programme with one-off and regular payments. For example, compensation for solid fuel and heating subsidies. Last year, around 2,500 people here received such support,” said Akmenė District Mayor Vitalijus Mitrofanovas.
The minister said the situation is expected to improve next year, with changes to benefit indexation and planned pension increases.
However, local officials say poverty remains difficult to tackle, leaving authorities with little option but to increase support payments.
“We very much hope that next year, when poverty indicators are published, we will be in a better position. We are also planning pension increases from next year. Changes have been made to how benefits are indexed – not only in line with inflation, but also with average wage growth,” said Social Security and Labour Minister Jūratė Zailskienė.
Meanwhile, poverty in rural areas is almost twice as high as in cities.
“In municipalities with higher unemployment, poverty levels are also higher. Border regions in particular tend to face greater poverty risks and higher unemployment,” said ministry representative Ugnė Užgalė.
Nearly 700,000 people in Lithuania are living below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold. The charity Maisto Bankas provides support to around 232,000 people nationwide.
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