Some 22,000 permanent residents emigrated from Lithuania last year, almost 50 percent more than in 2022, with the growth mostly due to departing Ukrainians and Belarusians, figures from the State Data Agency showed on Tuesday.
Some 12,000 foreign nationals and 10,000 Lithuanian nationals emigrated from Lithuania in 2023.
The total number of emigrants surged by 44 percent from 15,300 in 2022.
Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Belarus, Norway and Germany remained the main destinations for emigration. Lithuanian citizens went mainly to the UK, Norway and Germany, and foreign nationals moved to Ukraine and Belarus.
Last year, 8,000 permanent residents departed for Ukraine, and nearly 2,000 for Belarus, compared to 4,600 and 2,700, respectively, in 2022.
Lithuania saw immigration decrease to 66,900 people in 2023, from 87,400 the previous year.
Seventy-five percent of all immigrants were foreign nationals and 25 percent were Lithuanian citizens.
Daumantas Stumbrys, a sociologist, says that immigration flows are not stable and are influenced by the geopolitical situation in countries to the east of Lithuania.
“We do see increased immigration flows, but the question is how sustainable and long-term they are, because we know that they are linked to the war in Ukraine, and other processes in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and other post-Soviet countries,” he told a news conference on Tuesday, commenting on Lithuania’s main 2023 economic and social indicators.
Most of the foreign nationals came to Lithuania from Ukraine, Belarus and other post-Soviet countries. The largest numbers of Lithuanians returned from the UK, Norway and Germany.
The number of Lithuanian citizens who returned to their home country exceeded those leaving by 6,000 last years, down from 7,600 in 2022.
Stumbrys noted that the net international migration of Lithuanian citizens has been positive for several consecutive years now.
“We have had more returning than departing Lithuanian citizens for several years in a row,” the sociologist said.
“However, 10,000 (Lithuanians) still leave per year, which is a relatively high number given that 20,000 are born per year, so half as many leave,” he added.
Lithuania had 2,886,500 permanent residents as January 1, 2024, up by 29,000, or 1 percent, from a year ago.
Source: BNS
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