A former Soviet republic has been declared by experts as one of the happiest countries in the world.
Lithuania, one of the Baltic states, enjoys an advanced economy, beautiful landscapes and high income – making it an attractive place for many to live.
The World Happiness Report, which every year analyses global happiness trends, has ranked the Baltic country in 19th position in its life evaluations chart considering the years 2021 to 2023.
The ranking, topped by Finland, saw Lithuania ranking higher than both the UK, in 20th place, and the US, in 23rd place.
But Lithuania performed even better when considering the happiness levels of the under-30s.
Lithuania was followed in this chart by Israel, Serbia, Iceland and Denmark.
The UK trailed behind in 32nd position, and the US performed even worse, ranking 62nd.
Referring to the report, 29-year-old IT worker Lukas Saženis told the Guardian when asked if he is the happiest person in the world: “Maybe not the happiest, but I think I’m relatively happy.
“I feel like we’re building towards something. We’re not stagnating. It’s easy to see how good we have it.”
The country has gone through major transformation and growth since it broke away from the Soviet bloc in March 1990, becoming a member of the European Union, Council of Europe, NATO and OECD among other supranational organisations.
Being on NATO’s eastern flank as the war rages in Ukraine and Russia is ramping up its threats against the West is a major source of concern for both the GenZ and Millennials who have never got to know the Soviet regime and older generations.
As the Lithuanian government has made no secret of the dangerous situation Russia has plunged Europe in, with the Ministry of Interior in February advising citizens what they should pack in case disaster strikes, Karolis Pilypas, a 30-year-old photographer, told the UK newspaper: “One day you’re at home watching Love Is Blind and the next you’re being told by the government to pack an emergency bag.”
Still, the free university, booming tech sector including the Vinted and Nord Security companies and the year-on-year increase in average gross earnings allow young Lithuanians to look positively at the future.