Lithuania

Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe and one of the three Baltic states. It is a high-income democracy and a member of the European Union, NATO, and the OECD. For comparison work, the most reliable starting point is the United Nations Statistics Division’s M49 standard, which fixes Lithuania’s identity in international data systems. The UN M49 code is 440, the ISO alpha-2 code is LT, and the ISO alpha-3 code is LTU. The UN groups Lithuania under the region Europe and the subregion Northern Europe. Lithuania is a UN member state. The World Bank capital field lists Vilnius as the capital. These codes are stable identifiers, not political statements; they describe how international agencies organise data. The one fact you cannot get from a competitor’s page is that Lithuania’s M49 subregion is Northern Europe, a statistical grouping that places it alongside the Nordic countries in UN data tables, which often surprises researchers who expect a separate “Baltic” region.

How to verify current figures

Population, languages, currency, government type, GDP, and visa rules change regularly. No static profile can stay accurate. Use the primary sources below and note the reference year of any figure you cite.

Population

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs publishes population estimates and projections annually. The World Population Prospects data portal (population.un.org) is the standard reference for total population, median age, fertility, and urbanisation. The World Bank’s DataBank provides a second consistent source with clearly labelled estimates and vintage years. For Lithuania, the national statistical office is Statistics Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas), which conducts the census and publishes demographic indicators. Census data is typically several years old and may undercount certain groups. Always cite the source and year. Do not treat population as a single frozen number.

Capital

The World Bank capital field lists Vilnius as the capital of Lithuania. This is a stable administrative classification, not a political claim. Vilnius is also the seat of the national government and the largest city in the nation. For map coordinates and time zone details, refer to the IANA time zone database, which lists Europe/Vilnius as the standard time zone identifier.

Languages

Lithuanian is the state language. The Constitution and the state language law define Lithuanian as the official language. For the current legal text, see the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) website. For current language statistics, including the share of native speakers and minority languages, consult the Lithuanian Statistics Department and the most recent census. The CIA World Factbook provides a secondary summary but should be cross-checked against the national statistical office. Language data changes slowly, but census definitions and survey methods change, so always cite the census year. Minority languages, including Polish, Russian, and Belarusian, are spoken but have no official status at the national level.

Currency

The currency is the euro (EUR), which Lithuania adopted on 1 January 2015 when it joined the euro area. The Bank of Lithuania is the national central bank and part of the Eurosystem. For current banknote and coin information, exchange rates, and any cash-related policies, check the Bank of Lithuania and the European Central Bank. Exchange rates fluctuate; any figure you see in an article is a snapshot, not a guarantee.

Government

Lithuania is a unitary parliamentary republic. The head of state is the president, elected directly for a five-year term. The head of government is the prime minister, appointed by the president with the approval of the Seimas (parliament). For current leadership, party composition, and election dates, see the official Seimas website and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania portal. These change frequently; do not rely on third-party summaries.

Economy

World Bank income classification: high-income economy (as of the most recent classification update). The nation is part of the European Union and the eurozone. For current GDP, GDP per capita, and economic indicators, use the World Bank country API and the IMF Article IV staff report for Lithuania. Note that nominal GDP and GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) answer different questions: nominal reflects international purchasing power; PPP reflects domestic living standards. GDP figures should always be labelled nominal or PPP, and the reference year must be stated. For distribution, use the Gini index from Eurostat or the World Bank; do not combine Gini values from different survey years.

Travel and entry information

Visa policy is set by the European Union and implemented by Lithuania; entry rules change frequently. Direct readers to the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to their own government’s travel advisory. Do not summarise visa rules.

Health information

Health information changes. Point to WHO country data and the reader’s own government health travel advice; do not reproduce clinical guidance.

Stable classification facts

These identifiers do not change and come from the United Nations M49 standard and the ISO 3166 standard. The World Bank uses ISO alpha-3 codes as its primary country identifier.

• UN M49 code: 440
• ISO alpha-2: LT
• ISO alpha-3: LTU
• UN region: Europe
• UN subregion: Northern Europe
• UN member state: Yes
• World Bank capital field: Vilnius

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, “UN M49 Overview” (

The M49 code is a statistical classification, not a political or territorial claim. It is used by the UN and other international organisations for data organisation. For territorial or sovereignty questions, consult the UN member state list and your own government’s foreign ministry.

Data sources

Primary: UN M49 overview; World Bank country API; UN Member States; national statistical office of Lithuania (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas); Bank of Lithuania; IANA root zone database; WHO country page; UNESCO country page; official national tourism and government portals.

Reference year: 2024 for World Bank income classification; 2023 or latest for UN population estimates; the country data page should always name the reference year of any figure it quotes.

Adjacent questions to hand to other pages

• How do I compare two countries side by side? → /compare/
• How do I know if a number I found is trustworthy? → /source-literacy/
• How do I read a GDP figure correctly? → /gdp/
• What does HDI measure? → /hdi/
• What is the difference between nominal GDP and PPP? → /gdp/