Lithuania sees slight rise in births, speaker links progress to social democrat policies

Lithuania recorded 227 more births in the first four months of this year compared to the same period in 2025, a modest increase that Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas attributes to recent policy initiatives by the ruling Social Democratic Party (LSDP), state news agency BNS reports.

“If this pace continues, thanks to young people who understand the importance of this, we may reach 18,000 births this year,” Olekas told journalists on Tuesday. The LSDP has prioritised demographic challenges in recent months, with its April congress adopting a resolution urging the government and parliament to strengthen family and population policies.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė announced in April that the government would refocus its 2027–2028 agenda on family support, declaring those years “Family Years.” Proposed measures include expanding housing access for young families, reviewing parental leave and childcare benefits, introducing free meals for 3rd–4th graders, and improving fertility treatment availability. Additional plans involve increased education funding, talent retention programs, and incentives for returning emigrants.

Olekas did not rule out cross-party cooperation on demographic issues, calling them “critical for all of us.” He noted that while proposals exist in the Seimas, the government must still finalise its position—expected by autumn, per Ruginienė’s directive to ministries.

President Gitanas Nausėda previously described Lithuania’s demographic decline as a “ticking bomb,” pledging legislation to boost birth rates and address housing shortages for families during the current 2024–2028 parliamentary term. Official data shows Lithuania’s population shrank by 0.1% last year, with 2025 marking a record low of 17,500 births—an 8.4% drop from 2024. Projections suggest the population could fall below 2.1 million by 2100.