Lithuania's population shrinks by 233,000 in a decade

The population of Lithuania has shrunk by about 233,000 people over the past decade, the country's Department of Statistics said on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

On Jan. 1, 2021, the country had 2.81 million permanent residents, according to the preliminary results of this year's population census. The respective figures were 3.043 million in 2011, 3.48 million in 2001 and 3.67 million in 1989.

The decline was mainly driven by international migration and natural population change. Over the past decade, 118,900 Lithuanians have left the country and the country's birth rate is lower than the death rate.

Vilnius is the only city in the country whose population has grown over the past decade. The capital's population has increased by four percent to 556,100 people, accounting for one-fifth of the country's total. The other large cities' populations have all decreased.

Women continue to outnumber men in Lithuania and more Lithuanian residents have moved to urban areas during the decade.

Compared to 2011, the census has shown an aging population. The number of people aged below 30 has decreased, while the number of older, especially pre-retirement age (men and women over 54), people has increased.