These insights emerge from the latest survey commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania, covering public opinion in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. A comparable survey in the Nordic countries revealed different priorities, with healthcare leading as the top concern, followed by environmental and climate change and rising crime.
The economy tops the list of concerns
The economic situation was the most frequently cited issue in all three Baltic states. In Lithuania, 41% of respondents identified the economy as the country’s most pressing problem. The concern is even more pronounced in neighboring countries, with 62% of Latvians and a striking 72% of Estonians naming it as their primary worry.
In Lithuania, healthcare services (40%) and defense (39%) closely follow economic concerns. A similar trend appears in Estonia, where defense (33%) and healthcare (31%) rank just behind the economy. In contrast, defense is a significantly lower concern in Latvia, mentioned by only 14% of respondents. Healthcare ranks second in Latvia (43%), followed by unemployment and employment rate (26%).
Social differences and education also rank high among concerns in Lithuania (29% and 26%, respectively) and Latvia (20% and 22%). However, these issues are less salient in Estonia, where only 12% of respondents cited them. Estonians expressed greater concern about energy supply (19%) – more than double the rate in Lithuania (6%) and Latvia (9%).
Climate change recognised, but not prioritised
While people in the Baltic countries, like their Nordic counterparts, acknowledge the threats posed by climate change and pollution, relatively few see environmental issues as a top national priority. Just 12% of Lithuanians, 9% of Latvians, and 14% of Estonians cited environmental protection and climate change among the most pressing problems. This contrasts sharply with the Nordic countries, where 35% of respondents ranked it as a top national issue – second only to healthcare.
Still, when asked about specific environmental threats, Baltic respondents consistently highlighted plastic and microplastic pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Nordic residents agreed on climate change but prioritized overconsumption of natural resources over biodiversity loss.
Residents across both regions reported personally noticing the effects of climate change. The most visible signs include changing season lengths, higher temperatures, reduced snowfall, and increased rainfall. Nordic respondents additionally noted more frequent storms and hurricanes.
A different picture in the Nordics
In the Nordic countries, health services emerged as the top national challenge, cited by 48% of respondents. It is the only issue that ranks among the top three concerns in both the Baltic and Nordic regions. Environmental and climate change come next (35%), followed by crime (31%). Crime, in contrast, is not a major issue in the Baltic states – only 4% of Lithuanians and 7% of Latvians and Estonians listed it among their primary concerns.
Nordic respondents also pointed to the economy (27%) and immigration and integration (24%) as significant national issues. In the Baltic region, immigration was mentioned less frequently – most notably in Lithuania (17%), followed by Latvia (12%) and Estonia (9%). Social inequality (23%) and education (20%) are also concerns in the Nordic region, mirroring sentiments in Lithuania and Latvia. Defense, however, is less of a priority for Nordic residents, with just 16% naming it as a top challenge.
About the survey
The survey of Baltic residents was conducted by Spinter Research in June 2025, commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania. It included representative samples of residents aged 18–75: 1,023 respondents in Lithuania, 1,014 in Latvia, and 1,009 in Estonia. The comparative Nordic survey was carried out in May 2024 on behalf of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
