The war in Ukraine, the migrant crisis, record inflation, devastating natural disasters – these are the events that have marked Lithuania and the world in recent years.
Successive crises have affected Lithuania’s and the world’s economic development and created social challenges. Social policy and social protection of the population have played a key role in overcoming Lithuania’s complex challenges. Not only for those with the lowest incomes but also for the middle class, various mechanisms have been put in place to mitigate the effects of inflation in particular. However, people experiencing poverty have been particularly hard hit, as inflation has significantly reduced their incomes and curbed consumption. High prices of energy, food, goods and services have forced people to neglect basic needs. During the coldest winter months, people in poverty often had to pay utility bills and save money on food.
"It is essential to realise that such situations have a negative impact on people's health and quality of life and have harmful psychological and social consequences not only for those in poverty but also for society as a whole."
This year, we are again turning to the country’s social policy, which must ensure the population’s social security. This year’s Poverty watch focuses on the challenges faced by people living in poverty in Lithuania – the record high inflation in the country and barriers to accessing health services. It also focuses on the challenges faced by non-governmental organisations in the face of crises, the well-being of social workers and the challenges of day-care centres.
The Poverty watch includes research, insights and evaluations by EAPN Lithuania and partners. As every year, the Poverty watch will present the main concepts of poverty, methods for calculating indicators, and trends in recent years.
