Only 22% of Lithuanians know where to find the nearest shelter

A recent survey by Baltijos tyrimai reveals that only 22% of Lithuanians know the exact location of the nearest shelter or fallout bunker, reports LRT.lt.

According to the poll, 40% of respondents believe they know where to find a shelter but are not certain, while 31% admit they neither know nor have ever looked into it. Knowledge varies by demographic: men are more likely to know shelter locations than women, and the 30–49 age group is the most informed. The least awareness is among those over 65.

Urban, rural, and regional differences also appear. In rural areas, 21.2% know shelter locations, compared to 18.3% in cities and 24.3% in major cities. In all cases, more people are uncertain or unaware than those who know for sure.

Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas acknowledged the gaps in public awareness, stating that the system for shelters and information dissemination is not yet functioning as it should. He emphasized the goal of ensuring every person knows where the nearest shelter is, whether near home or work.

“It’s probably difficult, as we saw during the recent air threat, when a red alert was issued in the Vilnius region. People didn’t know how to react. Schools responded differently—some took children to shelters, others took them outside. Some companies didn’t stop work at all,” Katelynas said.

The survey, conducted between June 19–30, 2026, included 1,010 respondents aged 18 and older across 108 sampling points. The margin of error does not exceed 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.