Demographic security

Lithuanian Authorities Blame Russia for Demographic Collapse

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of its newly independent republics faced a period of demographic crisis; the Baltic states were hit particularly hard. Lithuania, which had a population of 3.7 million in 1991, saw its population drop to 2.85 million in 2015, a loss of nearly 23%. Neighboring Latvia, which had a population of 2.65 million in 1991, dropped to 1.95 million (a 26.5% decline). Estonia, the smallest among the Baltic countries, fared slightly better, its population of 1.56 million in 1991 dropping to 1.3 million, a 17% drop.

All three Baltic states show negative natural population growth in eleven months of 2016

Natural population growth was negative in all three Baltic states in the first eleven months of 2016, according to the information compiled by the Latvian Central Statistical Bureau.

There were 20,140 births and 25,961 deaths registered in Latvia in January-November last year. In Lithuania, 28,947 babies were born and 37,669 people died during the eleven-month period in 2016. Negative changes in Estonia’s population were less prominent than in other Baltic states with 12,935 births and 13,995 deaths registered during the first eleven months of 2016.

In January-November 2016, the birth rate in Latvia has dropped slightly compared to the eleven-month period in 2015 while birth rates in Lithuania and Estonia improved a little. The death rates decreased slightly in all three Baltic states in the first eleven months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015.