Lithuania

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How’s Life?

Lithuania has made considerable progress in improving the quality of life of its citizens over the last decade. Notwithstanding, relative to other countries in the Better Life Index, Lithuania underperforms average in income,  health, social connections and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Lithuania, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 26 976 a year, less than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.

In terms of employment, about 72% of people aged 15 to 64 in Lithuania have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 72% of men are in paid work, compared with 71% of women. In Lithuania, 1% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Lithuania, 94% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 91% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 96% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 480 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is lower than the OECD average of 488. On average in Lithuania, girls outperformed boys by 16 points, well above the average OECD gap of 5 points.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Lithuania is around 76 years, five years lower than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 81 years, compared with 72 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 10.5 micrograms per cubic meter, below the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In Lithuania, 83% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, slightly lower than the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a moderate sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in Lithuania, where 89% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, less than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 57% during recent elections, lower than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 62% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 54%.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Lithuanians gave it a 6.4 grade on average, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Lithuania

OECD’s periodic surveys of Lithuania's economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations.

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