Eurobarometer: Nine out of ten Lithuanians are confident about adapting to the euro

Lithuanians feel fit for the euro: 90 % say that they personally will manage to adapt to the euro while 51% think that their country is also ready for the changeover, according to a Flash Eurobarometer survey of 1000 citizens.

The survey was conducted from 4-6 September 2014 in Lithuania to gauge citizens’ perceptions of their country’s preparedness to switch over to the euro on 1 January 2015.

Moreover, more than two thirds of Lithuanians feel that they have a good knowledge about the euro: 70% now describe themselves as either ‘very well’ or ‘rather well’ informed, compared with just 50% when polled in April.

Support for the euro is almost unchanged since the last poll in April 2014. 47% of respondents now say they are in favour of introducing the euro (+1 pp), while 49% are against (+1 pp).

However, 50% of respondents say that they think the common currency has had a positive impact on the countries that already use it.

Simultaneously displaying prices in both the old currency and euros is seen as key to ensuring a successful changeover

Ensuring that prices are displayed in both the old currency and in euros was again cited as the most important action to ensure a successful changeover. A large majority of respondents, 77%, said that they thought this should be done in shops, while 71% said that prices in both currencies should also be printed on bills, and 65% said they should be printed on their pay slips.

Background

Respondents replied to a set of questions ranging from awareness and knowledge of euro banknotes and coins to their desire for information about the euro and the changeover process.

In addition, citizens were asked about their views regarding the consequences of having the euro in their own country, in the current euro area countries, and for themselves personally.

A final set of questions looked at how citizens perceive specific possible consequences, such as low inflation, a strengthened place for Lithuania in the EU, feeling more European, and the impact on their national identity. 

Documents

Flash Eurobarometer 402 report(3 MB)

Flash Eurobarometer 402 Summary(990 kB)

Opinion polls