Poverty rises in Lithuania, including among people with jobs

Poverty has increased in Lithuania over the past five years, even among people who have jobs, the head of a national anti-poverty network said Friday.

“The situation has definitely worsened over the past five years, particularly for certain groups. These include pensioners, people with disabilities, single people and the unemployed,” Aistė Adomavičienė, director of the National Network of Poverty Reduction Organisations, told LRT RADIO.

“What also concerns us is that the share of working people living in poverty has increased by a full percentage point. That means having a job does not automatically protect you from poverty,” she added.

Adomavičienė said other indicators also pointed to growing financial pressure. The poverty risk gap, which measures how far the incomes of people at risk of poverty fall below the poverty threshold, is widening. The current threshold is 699 euros, she said.

“Against the backdrop of inflation, we can see that the financial squeeze on people is increasing and the situation is not getting any easier,” she added.

The latest review of poverty and social exclusion found that 7% of Lithuania’s population lives in absolute poverty, meaning they cannot afford even basic necessities.

Poverty is more widespread in rural areas, Adomavičienė said, although child poverty has declined.

“Where Lithuania is doing relatively well is child poverty. Over the past decade, we have made a breakthrough, which means we have experience and know how to address the problem,” she said. “The question is how much of that progress we can extend to other groups.”

People with disabilities remain particularly vulnerable. According to data from nongovernmental organisations, 50.5% of people with disabilities in Lithuania were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, the highest share in the European Union where the average was 28.8%.