More employed people in Lithuania are living in poverty

The number of people living in poverty in Lithuania has risen over the past five years, including among those who have jobs, Aistė Adomavičienė, head of the National Network of Poverty Reduction Organisations, told LRT Radio on Friday.

“The situation has definitely worsened over five years, especially for certain groups,” Adomavičienė said, naming older people, people with disabilities, people living alone and the unemployed. She said the share of working people in poverty had increased by one percentage point, showing that having a job does not automatically protect people from poverty.

The poverty-risk gap, which measures how far people’s incomes fall below the poverty-risk threshold, is also growing. The threshold is currently 699 euros. Adomavičienė said inflation was adding to the pressure on people’s finances.

The latest review of poverty and social exclusion found that 7% of people were experiencing absolute poverty, meaning they could not afford even basic needs. Poverty is more widespread in rural areas, while child poverty has declined, Adomavičienė said.

Data from non-governmental organisations show that in 2025, 50.5% of people with disabilities in Lithuania were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest rate in the European Union. The EU average was 28.8%.