Lithuania 2013

Lithuania Population Density

In 2013, the population of Lithuania was estimated to be around 2.9 million people. This figure represents a decrease since the last census in 2001, when the population was 3.1 million. The majority of Lithuanians are ethnically Lithuanian, with Poles and Russians making up the second and third largest ethnic groups respectively. About 80% of Lithuania’s population is Roman Catholic, while other religions such as Lutheranism and Orthodox Christianity also have a presence in the country. See Countryaah for more countries that also start with L.

Lithuania has an aging population, with over 25% of its population aged 65 or older in 2013, while only 15% were under 15 years old. This is indicative of a low birth rate, which has been declining since independence in 1990. The life expectancy for both men and women is at an all-time high at 72 years for men and 80 years for women. The literacy rate is also high at 99%.

In terms of economic status, Lithuania’s GDP per capita was estimated to be around $18000 in 2013 – making it one of the wealthier states among its neighbours in Eastern Europe. The economy is largely service-based with retail and hospitality being major industries; however there are also significant contributions from manufacturing and agriculture sectors too. The unemployment rate stands at 11%, which is still relatively high compared to other EU countries; however this figure has seen improvement since 2012 due to increased foreign investment into Lithuania’s economy.

Yearbook 2013

Lithuania. According to Countryaah, the political conflict around the Polish minority continued during the year. The election campaign for Poles threatened to leave the government unless the school law was changed so that Polish-speaking and other minority schools received simpler tests in the Lithuanian language. The party also demanded legalization of bilingual street signs in areas dominated by national minorities, and spelling of non-Lithuanian names in original languages in official documents.

Lithuania Population Density

The new Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius ran a more conciliatory line against Poland than his representative, and he apologized for the Lithuanian parliament voting against the legalization of spelling in Polish language in 2010. In Lithuania he received criticism from several directions for the apology, including from the country’s president. Former Labor Party leader Viktor Uspaskich was sentenced in July to four years in prison for accounting and tax violations committed by the party. Other party representatives were also sentenced to prison, and the party leader and Vice President Vytautas Gapšys were fined.

  • According to AbbreviationFinder.org, Vilnius is the capital city of Lithuania. See acronyms and abbreviations related to this capital and other major cities within this country.

Economy

Inflation rate 3.70%
Unemployment rate 7.1%
Gross domestic product (GDP) $ 91,470,000,000
GDP growth rate 3.90%
GDP per capita $ 32,400
GDP by sector
Agriculture 3.50%
Industry 29.40%
Service 67.20%
State budget
Revenue 10.05 billion
Expenditure 10.12 billion
Proportion of the population below the national poverty line 4%
Distribution of household income
Top 10% 29.1
Lower 10% 2.6
Industrial production growth rate 3.30%
Investment volume 18.3% of GDP
National debt 39.70% of GDP
Foreign exchange reserves $ 2,602,000,000
Tourism 2014
Visitors 2,063,000
Revenue $ 1,383,000,000

 

The Labor Party’s support fell sharply in public opinion, but the party remained in government. The demand for resignation grew against the Vice President, who left his post in October. Then also Parliament’s first President resigned in solidarity with his colleague.

The head of the industry association warned that Lithuania had not taken seriously the dramatic reduction in population through emigration. As mainly young people left the country and the shrinking population was aging faster, economists referred to emigration as a national disaster. In a survey, about 56% of young people aged 15-19 stated that they would like to emigrate.

Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius received much criticism for not giving the government clear information on whether a new nuclear power plant would replace the closed Ignalina. The country’s president felt that Lithuania’s indecision seemed pathetic in the outside world, and Latvia and Estonia, which would participate in the project, expressed frustration over the lack of Lithuanian message. See petwithsupplies.com for Lithuania nature and culture.

At the turn of the year, Lithuania took over the EU Presidency. It was the first time a former Soviet Union republic led the work of the European Union. Lithuania’s goal was for the EU to conclude association and free trade agreements with four other former Soviet republics in November, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. But the Russian Federation acted in the background with economic and political pressure, and both Armenia and Ukraine fell away for the EU.

Lithuania was also subject to Russian pressure because of its agenda with the EU’s Eastern Partnership, and probably also its intention to reduce dependence on Russian energy. In September, the Russian Federation suspended some imports of Lithuanian dairy products and introduced extensive checks at the border between Lithuania and Kaliningrad. In October, the Russian Federation stopped all imports of Lithuanian milk products. This meant a major breakdown for Lithuania, as about 85% of dairy exports went to the Russian Federation.

At the same time, Lithuania sought to negotiate with Russian Gazprom on lower gas prices, as the country has so far paid 15-20% more for the Russian gas than among other things. Latvia and Estonia.