Population and Demographics

The earliest evidence of inhabitants in present-day Lithuania dates back to 10,000 BC. Between 3,000-2,000 BC, the cord-ware culture people spread over a vast region of Eastern Europe, between the Baltic Sea and the Vistula River in the West and the Moscow-Kursk line in the East. Merging with the indigenous population, they gave rise to the Balts, a distinct Indo-European ethnic group whose descendants are the present-day Lithuanian and Latvian nations and Prussians (who are no longer existing). The name of Lithuania - Lietuva - might be derived from the word Lietava, for a small river, or less likely from lietus, meaning rain (or land of rain).

Lithuanians are neither Slavic nor Germanic, although the union with Poland, Germanic and Russian colonisation and settlement left cultural and religious influences. This highly literate society places strong emphasis upon education, which is free and compulsory until age 16. Most Lithuanians and ethnic Poles belong to the Roman Catholic Church; Eastern Orthodoxy is the largest non-Catholic denomination.

Enduring several border changes, Soviet deportations, a massacre of its Jewish population, and German and Polish repatriations during and after World War II, Lithuania has maintained a fairly stable percentage of ethnic Lithuanians (from 79.3% in 1959 to 83.4% in 2001). Lithuania's citizenship law and the Constitution meet international and OSCE standards, guaranteeing universal human and civil rights.

Ethnic Diversity

83.4% of the Lithuanian population are ethnic Lithuanians, the majority of whom speak the Lithuanian language (one of the two surviving members of the Baltic language group), which is the official language of the state. Several sizable minorities exist, such as Poles (6.7%), Russians (6.3%) and Belarusians (1.2%).

Poles are the largest minority, concentrated in southeast Lithuania (the Vilnius region). Russians are the second largest minority, concentrated mostly in two cities; they constitute sizeable minorities in Vilnius (13%) and Klaipeda (20%) and a slim majority in the town of Visaginas (55%). About 3,000 Roma live in Lithuania, mostly in Vilnius, Kaunas and Panevezys; their organisations are supported by the National Minority and Emigration Department.

Religion

The historically predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. The Roman Catholic Church has been the majority confession since the Christianization of Lithuania in the 14th century. No less than 79% of Lithuanians are Roman Catholic. The Roman Catholic Church used to be an influential factor in the country, and some priests actively led the resistance against the Communist regime and, after independence was regained, against socialism and liberalism, especially in ethical questions.

The diverse Protestant community (1.9% of the total population) is much smaller than the Roman Catholic Church; Protestants are scattered all over the northern and western parts of Lithuania. Lithuania was historically positioned in between the two German-controlled states of Livonia to the north and the Protestant formerly monastic, Teutonic State of Prussia to its south. In the 16th century, from those two regions Lutheran Protestantism started to spread into the country. Since 1945 Lutheranism in the country has declined.

Various Protestant churches have established missions in Lithuania since 1990, including the United Methodists, the Baptist Union, the Mennonites and World Venture.

The country also has minority communities of Eastern Orthodoxy (mainly among the Russian minority), to which about 4.1% of the total population belongs, as well as of Judaism, Islam, and Karaism (an ancient offshoot of Judaism represented by a long-standing community in Trakai), which together make up another 1.6% of the population.

Health and Welfare

As of 2007, Lithuanian life expectancy at birth was 69 years for males and 79 for females. The infant mortality rate was 6.68 per 1,000 births. The annual population growth rate in 2007 was -0.289. Less than 2% of the population live beneath the poverty line.

Along with other countries that experienced Soviet domination from 1945 to 1990, Lithuanians have a high suicide rate: 91.7 per 100,000 persons, the highest in the world in 2000, followed by the Russian Federation (82.5), Belarus (73.1), Latvia (68.5), and Ukraine (62.1). This problem has been studied by a number of health organisations.

Literacy

Lithuania is one of the most literate countries in the world. According to the 2001 census, 99.6% of the population aged 15 and over can read and write. The proportion between males and females is the same. The primary, secondary, and high schools are free to all residents. Ten years of schooling is required. Tertiary education is almost free. In 2003, 43,900 students were admitted to 21 universities in Lithuania (11,100 of these to master programs). About 70% of high school graduates continue to study in universities or professional schools.

Facts And Figures

• Population: 3,575,439
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 14.9% (male 273,573/female 259,570)
  • 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 1,213,011/female 1,264,996)
  • 65 years and over: 15.8% (male 194,500/female 369,789)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 38.6 years
  • Male: 36.1 years
  • Female: 41.2 years
• Population Growth Rate: -0.289%
• Birth Rate: 8.87 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 11.05 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: -0.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.054 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 0.959 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.526 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 0.887 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 6.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 7.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 5.29 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 74.44 years
  • Male: 69.46 years
  • Female: 79.69 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 1.21 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.1%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 1,300
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Lithuanian 83.4%
  • Polish 6.7%
  • Russian 6.3%
  • Other or unspecified 3.6%
• Religions:
  • Roman Catholic 79%
  • Russian Orthodox 4.1%
  • Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%
  • Other or unspecified 5.5%
  • None 9.5%
• Languages:
  • Lithuanian (official) 82%
  • Russian 8%
  • Polish 5.6%
  • Other and unspecified 4.4%
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 99.6%
  • Male: 99.6%
  • Female: 99.6%