Vilnius
Lithuania
Key facts and a structured country profile. π§Ύ Change log π True Size
2,815,687 (2025 est.)
65,300 sq km
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia, west of Belarus
π§ Background
Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, Lithuania extended its territory through alliances and conquest to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795 when surrounding countries partitioned its remnants. Lithuania regained its independence after World War I, but the USSR annexed it in 1940 -- an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. In 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until 1991. The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into West European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in 2004. In 2015, Lithuania joined the euro zone, and it joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2018.
πΊοΈ Geography
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia, west of Belarus
56 00 N, 24 00 E
Europe
65,300 sq km
62,680 sq km
2,620 sq km
Slightly larger than West Virginia
1,545 km
Belarus 640 km; Latvia 544 km; Poland 100 km; Russia (Kaliningrad) 261 km
90 km
12 nm
Transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
Lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Aukstojas 294 m
Baltic Sea 0 m
110 m
Peat, arable land, amber
45.9% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 36.8% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.5% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 8.6% (2023 est.)
35.3% (2023 est.)
18.8% (2023 est.)
61 sq km (2020)
Curonian Lagoon (shared with Russia) - 1,620 sq km
Fairly even population distribution throughout the country, but somewhat greater concentrations in the southern cities of Vilnius and Kaunas, as well as the western port of Klaipeda
Occasional floods, droughts
Fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits
π₯ People and Societyβ¬οΈ Top
2,815,687 (2025 est.)
1,334,600
1,481,087
Lithuanian(s)
Lithuanian
Lithuanian 84.6%, Polish 6.5%, Russian 5%, Belarusian 1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.8% (2021 est.)
Lithuanian (official) 85.3%, Russian 6.8%, Polish 5.1%, other 1.1%, two mother tongues 1.7% (2021 est.)
Pasaulio enciklopedija β naudingas bendrosios informacijos Ε‘altinis. (Lithuanian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Roman Catholic 74.2%, Russian Orthodox 3.7%, Old Believer 0.6%, Evangelical Lutheran 0.6%, Evangelical Reformist 0.2%, other (including Sunni Muslim, Jewish, Greek Catholic, and Karaite) 0.9%, none 6.1%, unspecified 13.7% (2021 est.)
15.2% (male 205,154/female 194,386)
62.6% (male 808,435/female 837,908)
22.2% (2024 est.) (male 201,405/female 380,898)
56.5 (2025 est.)
23.3 (2025 est.)
33.3 (2025 est.)
3 (2025 est.)
44 years (2025 est.)
40.9 years
49.2 years
-0.71% (2025 est.)
7.01 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
14.1 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Fairly even population distribution throughout the country, but somewhat greater concentrations in the southern cities of Vilnius and Kaunas, as well as the western port of Klaipeda
68.7% of total population (2023)
-0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
541,000 VILNIUS (capital) (2023)
1.06 male(s)/female
1.06 male(s)/female
0.96 male(s)/female
0.53 male(s)/female
0.86 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
28.2 years (2020 est.)
8 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
4 deaths/1,000 live births
3.1 deaths/1,000 live births
76.1 years (2024 est.)
70.8 years
81.7 years
1.22 children born/woman (2025 est.)
0.6 (2025 est.)
Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 93.8% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 98% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 6.2% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 2% of population (2022 est.)
7.5% of GDP (2022)
13% of national budget (2022 est.)
6.1 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
6 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Urban: 99% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 91.9% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 96.7% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 8.1% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 3.3% of population (2022 est.)
26.3% (2016)
11.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
4.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
4.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
1.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
26.6% (2025 est.)
38% (2025 est.)
16.7% (2025 est.)
1.1% (2021 est.)
51.8% (2024 est.)
0% (2022)
0.2% (2022)
4.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
11.8% national budget (2022 est.)
17 years (2022 est.)
16 years (2022 est.)
17 years (2022 est.)
πΏ Environmentβ¬οΈ Top
Water pollution; air pollution; deforestation; groundwater pollution from chemicals and waste; soil degradation and erosion
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
None of the selected agreements
Transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
45.9% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 36.8% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.5% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 8.6% (2023 est.)
35.3% (2023 est.)
18.8% (2023 est.)
68.7% of total population (2023)
-0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
12.877 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
380,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
9.61 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
2.887 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
11.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
1.315 million tons (2024 est.)
34.9% (2022 est.)
136.78 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
87.96 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
58.74 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
24.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
ποΈ Governmentβ¬οΈ Top
Republic of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lietuvos Respublika
Lietuva
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (while occupied by the USSR)
Meaning of the name is obscure; may be derived from the local words lietava, meaning "small river," or lietus, meaning "rain" or "land of rain," or the Latin word litus, meaning "shore"
Semi-presidential republic
Vilnius
54 41 N, 25 19 E
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Named after the Vilnia River; the river name is said to derive from the Lithuanian word vilnis, meaning "wave"
60 municipalities (savivaldybe, singular - savivaldybe); Akmene, Alytaus Miestas, Alytus, Anksciai, Birstonas, Birzai, Druskininkai, Elektrenai, Ignalina, Jonava, Joniskis, Jurbarkas, Kaisiadorys, Kalvarija, Kauno Miestas, Kaunas, Kazlu Rudos, Kedainiai, Kelme, Klaipedos Miestas, Klaipeda, Kretinga, Kupiskis, Lazdijai, Marijampole, Mazeikiai, Moletai, Neringa, Pagegiai, Pakruojis, Palangos Miestas, Panevezio Miestas, Panevezys, Pasvalys, Plunge, Prienai, Radviliskis, Raseiniai, Rietavas, Rokiskis, Sakiai, Salcininkai, Siauliu Miestas, Siauliai, Silale, Silute, Sirvintos, Skuodas, Svencionys, Taurage, Telsiai, Trakai, Ukmerge, Utena, Varena, Vilkaviskis, Vilniaus Miestas, Vilnius, Visaginas, Zarasai
Civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the Constitutional Court
Several previous; latest adopted by referendum 25 October 1992, entered into force 2 November 1992
Proposed by at least one fourth of all Parliament members or by petition of at least 300,000 voters; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in each of two readings three months apart and a presidential signature; amendments to constitutional articles on national sovereignty and constitutional amendment procedure also require three-fourths voter approval in a referendum
Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
No
At least one parent must be a citizen of Lithuania
No
10 years
18 years of age; universal
President Gitanas NAUSEDA (since 12 July 2019)
Prime Minister Inga RUGINIENE (since 25 September 2025)
Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, approved by Parliament
President directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by Parliament
26 May 2024
2024: Gitanas NAUSEDA elected president in second round; percent of vote -Gitanas NAUSEDA (independent) 75.6%, Ingrida SIMONYTE (TS-LKD) 24.4% 2019: Gitanas NAUSEDA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Gitanas NAUSEDA (independent) 66.7%, Ingrida SIMONYTE (independent) 33.3%
2029
Parliament (Seimas)
Unicameral
141 (all directly elected)
Mixed system
Full renewal
4 years
10/13/2024 to 10/27/2024
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) (52); Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) (28); Political Party "The Dawn of Nemunas" (PPNA) (20); Union of Democrats βFor Lithuaniaβ (DSVL) (14); Liberals Movement of the Republic of Lithuania (LS) (12); Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVΕ½S) (8); Other (7)
28.4%
October 2028
Supreme Court (consists of 37 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Seimas; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Seimas from nominations - 3 each by the president of the republic, the Seimas speaker, and the Supreme Court president; judges serve 9-year, nonrenewable terms; one third of membership reconstituted every 3 years
Court of Appeals; district and local courts
Center-Right Union or CDS Dawn of Nemunas or PPNA Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania - Christian Families Alliance or LLRAβKΕ S Homeland Union or TS-LKD Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union or LVΕ½S Liberals' Movement or LRLS National Alliance or NS Social Democratic Party of Lithuania or LSDP Union of Democrats for Lithuania or DSVL
Ambassador Gediminas VARVUOLIS (since 5 September 2025)
2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
[1] (202) 234-5860
[1] (202) 328-0466
Info@usa.mfa.lt https://usa.mfa.lt/usa/en/
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Ambassador Kara C. McDONALD (since 26 January 2024)
Akmenu gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106
4510 Vilnius Place, Washington DC 20521-4510
[370] (5) 266-5500
[370] (5) 266-5510
Consec@state.gov https://lt.usembassy.gov/
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
16 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia and Germany); 11 March 1990 (declared from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS, traditional founding date); 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)
Independence Day (or National Day), 16 February (1918)
Description: three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red meaning: yellow stands for golden fields, the sun, light, and goodness; green for the forests, nature, freedom, and hope; red for courage and the blood spilled in defense of the homeland
Mounted knight known as Vytis (the Chaser), white stork
Yellow, green, red
"Tautiska giesme" (The National Song)
Vincas KUDIRKA
Adopted 1918, restored 1990; written in 1898 when Lithuania was part of Russia; banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990
5 (all cultural)
Vilnius Historic Center; Curonian Spit; KernavΔ Archaeological Site; Struve Geodetic Arc; Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939
πΉ Economyβ¬οΈ Top
High-income EU and eurozone member, largest Baltic economy; recovery supported by private consumption and EU fund-driven investments; structural challenges include pension reform, aging workforce, and high energy-import costs
$136.227 billion (2024 est.)
$132.552 billion (2023 est.)
$132.099 billion (2022 est.)
2.8% (2024 est.)
0.3% (2023 est.)
2.5% (2022 est.)
$47,200 (2024 est.)
$46,200 (2023 est.)
$46,700 (2022 est.)
$84.869 billion (2024 est.)
0.7% (2024 est.)
9.1% (2023 est.)
19.7% (2022 est.)
2.6% (2024 est.)
23.4% (2024 est.)
63.6% (2024 est.)
57.3% (2023 est.)
17.3% (2023 est.)
23.7% (2023 est.)
-1.8% (2023 est.)
76.5% (2023 est.)
-72.6% (2023 est.)
Wheat, milk, sugar beets, rapeseed, barley, potatoes, triticale, oats, beans, peas (2023)
Metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, televisions, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture, textiles, food processing, fertilizer, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, lasers, electronic components, computers, amber jewelry, information technology, video game development, app/software development, biotechnology
3.2% (2024 est.)
1.548 million (2024 est.)
7.6% (2024 est.)
6.9% (2023 est.)
6% (2022 est.)
14.1% (2024 est.)
16.3% (2024 est.)
11.7% (2024 est.)
20.9% (2021 est.)
36.6 (2022 est.)
19.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
5.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
2.5% (2022 est.)
28.7% (2022 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
1% of GDP (2022 est.)
$28.011 billion (2023 est.)
$28.68 billion (2023 est.)
36.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
21.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
$2.101 billion (2024 est.)
$878.388 million (2023 est.)
-$4.322 billion (2022 est.)
$62.896 billion (2024 est.)
$61.02 billion (2023 est.)
$61.448 billion (2022 est.)
Latvia 11%, Poland 8%, Germany 7%, Netherlands 6%, Russia 6% (2023)
Refined petroleum, furniture, plastic products, wheat, cars (2023)
$58.491 billion (2024 est.)
$57.899 billion (2023 est.)
$62.916 billion (2022 est.)
Germany 13%, Poland 13%, Latvia 8%, USA 7%, Norway 5% (2023)
Crude petroleum, cars, natural gas, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023)
$7.406 billion (2024 est.)
$6.168 billion (2023 est.)
$5.365 billion (2022 est.)
Euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.924 (2024 est.)
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
β‘ Energyβ¬οΈ Top
100% (2022 est.)
5.426 million kW (2023 est.)
10.992 billion kWh (2023 est.)
3.98 billion kWh (2023 est.)
10.91 billion kWh (2023 est.)
829.9 million kWh (2023 est.)
16.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
14.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
51% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
4.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
13.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
2 (2025)
166,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
78,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
149,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
67,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
12 million barrels (2021 est.)
1.49 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
1.867 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
3.282 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
83.7 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
π‘ Communicationsβ¬οΈ Top
224,000 (2023 est.)
8 (2023 est.)
3.97 million (2024 est.)
139 (2024 est.)
Public broadcaster operates 3 channels, with the third channel (satellite) introduced in 2007; various privately owned commercial TV broadcasters operate national and multiple regional channels; many privately owned local TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services available; publicly owned broadcaster operates 3 radio networks; many privately owned commercial broadcasters, with repeater stations in various regions
.lt
89% (2023 est.)
806,000 (2023 est.)
28 (2023 est.)
π Transportationβ¬οΈ Top
LY
64 (2025)
2 (2025)
1,911 km (2020) 152 km electrified
59 (2023)
Container ship 3, general cargo 19, oil tanker 2, other 35
2 (2024)
0
1
0
1
2
Butinge Oil Terminal, Klaipeda
π‘οΈ Military and Securityβ¬οΈ Top
Lithuanian Armed Forces (Lietuvos Ginkluotosios Pajegos): Lithuanian Land Forces (LLF), Lithuanian Navy, Lithuanian Air Force (LTAF), Lithuanian Special Operations Forces (LITHSOF); National Defense Volunteer Forces (2025)
4% of GDP (2025 est.)
3.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
2.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
2.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Approximately 20,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)
The military's inventory is a mix of mostly European and US armaments (2025)
19-26 years of age for conscripted military service for men; 9-month service obligation; 18-38 for voluntary service for men and women; 18-60 for the National Defense Volunteer Services (2025)
Note: contributes about 350-550 troops to the Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine joint military brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG), which was established in 2014; the brigade is headquartered in Poland and is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units; units affiliated with the multinational brigade remain within the structures of the armed forces of their respective countries until the brigade is activated for participation in an international operation
The Lithuanian Armed Forces are responsible for the defense of the countryβs interests, sovereignty, and territory, fulfilling Lithuaniaβs commitments to NATO and European security, and contributing to UN international peacekeeping efforts; Russia is Lithuaniaβs primary security focus, which has only increased since the Russian seizure of Crimea in 2014 and subsequent full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022; Lithuania has been a member of NATO since 2004 and is reliant on the Alliance as the countryβs security guarantor; it is actively engaged in both NATO and EU security, as well as bilaterally with allies such as the other Baltic States, Germany, Poland, the UK, Ukraine, and the US; the Lithuanian military has participated in NATO and EU missions abroad and regularly conducts training and exercises with NATO and EU partner forces; it hosts NATO forces, is a member of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, and contributes troops to a multinational brigade with Poland and Ukraine; Lithuania participated in its first UN peacekeeping mission in 1994 since 2017, Lithuania has hosted a German-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Allianceβs Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; NATO has also provided air protection for Lithuania since 2004 through its Baltic Air Policing mission; NATO fighter aircraft are hosted at Lithuaniaβs Ε iauliai Air Base (2025)
π Transnational Issuesβ¬οΈ Top
53,859 (2024 est.)
2,236 (2024 est.)
Source: Factbook JSON archive.