Nearly 700,000 Lithuanians are at risk of poverty

Poverty rates are rising rapidly in Lithuania, particularly in border and remote areas, where one in three residents in some municipalities now lives below the poverty line. 

According to official data from the Ministry of Social Security and Labor, nearly 700,000 citizens are currently at risk. This was reported by LRT.

The most dire situation has been recorded in the Akmenė District, which borders Latvia, where the poverty rate in rural areas is nearly twice that of urban areas. Volunteers from the charity Maisto Bankas are noting a significant increase in lines for food packages, with an increasing number of recipients being not only the elderly but also young families. The social crisis is deepening amid high unemployment, low pensions, and the country’s aging population.

Despite the annual increase in budget spending on social support, the number of people in need of assistance continues to grow. Local authorities note that the economic gap between the regions and the capital is becoming increasingly pronounced. Currently, government agencies are attempting to find additional resources to stabilize the situation in the most economically depressed municipalities. This trend indicates the need to revise regional policy to address systemic vulnerability among citizens.