Analytics, Demography, Good for Business, Lithuania
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Thursday, 18.04.2024, 06:34
Lithuania registers positive migration balance for 4th month in a row
The latest figures from the statistics office, Statistics
Lithuania, show 4,472 people came to Lithuania and 3,177 left the country last
month. 58%, or almost two thirds, of those who came were Lithuanian citizens,
with citizens also making the majority, 83%, of those who left.
A positive migration balance of over 1,000 was registered in
April too.
Tomas Siaudvytis, a senior economist at the central
Bank of Lithuania, told the increase in the number of returning Lithuanians
might have been determined by good conditions in Lithuania's labor market as
it's easier for people to find a job, and wages are also rising fast.
According to the expert, the immigration of foreigners is
determined by a considerable lack of workers and the recent changes in
Lithuania's immigration policy as immigration procedures have been facilitated
for some people and businesses.
In the first five months of this year, 18,893 people
immigrated to Lithuania and 15,995 people emigrated.
Siaudvytis says it's hard to estimate how this tendency will
develop further as it is affected by economic developments and less predictable
political decisions.
"Immigration is determined by political-administrative
decisions, let's say, the facilitation of immigration procedures or even a
Brexit deal," the economist said. "In any case, the mentioned
positive changes in the migration area at least for now do not affect the key
assessments of the demographic shock, labor shortages etc. that are ahead of
Lithuania."
Lithuania lost nearly 3,300 people to emigration last year,
the lowest number since the country joined the European Union in 2004.