Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
First results on the main demographic developments: for the reference year.
The objective of the Determination of the Resident Population and its Composition is to produce and provide to users statistical information on the number of the usually resident population and its structure by sex, age, citizenship, country of birth, marital status, territorial-administrative units (Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county, municipality (in total, towns/cities, rural areas)). Data on usual resident population from the Statistical Population Register is used to define the population. The Statistical Population Register is updated daily with data from the Population Register on births, deaths and changes in usual residence (within the country, entering/leaving the country). The population of usual residents is formed for the reference date by selecting from the Statistical Population Register the persons with the attribute of usual residents.
The objective of the Fertility Statistics is to produce and provide to users’ statistical information on the number of live births by sex, birth order, age of mother, marital status, duration of marriage of parents, Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county, municipality (in total, towns/cities, rural areas), etc. Fertility Statistics is based on the Statistical Population Register data. The population is formed on basis of data from records of births, the baby's and its parents' place of residence and other data from the Statistical Population Register and data from identity documents issued in the Republic of Lithuania.
The objective of the Mortality Statistics is to produce and provide to users statistical information on the number of deaths by sex, age, marital status, citizenship, etc., as well as the number of stillbirths by sex, birth order and age of mother, Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county, municipality (in total, towns/cities, rural areas). The Mortality Statistics based on the Statistical Population Register data. The population is formed on basis of data from records of births and deaths from the Statistical Population Register and data from identity documents issued in the Republic of Lithuania.
The objective of the International Migration Statistics is to produce and provide to users statistical information on the number of immigrants and emigrants, their composition by sex, age, citizenship, country of birth, previous or next place (country) of residence, marital status, Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county, municipality (in total, towns/cities, rural areas), etc. International migration statistics is calculated of the population and its sex and age structure. The main data source of immigration and emigration indicators is the data from the Statistical Population Register. The population of International Migration Statistics is based on the following data from the Statistical Population Register: declared place of residence in the Republic of Lithuania, date of arrival, country of arrival, date of departure, county of destination. The main criteria for defining immigrants and emigrants are the change of a country of permanent residence and duration of stay or absence in case of intention to take up permanent residence in a new place (country) for a period not less than 12 months.
Palantir Foundry (Contour, etc. applications), MS Excel, statistical program package R, and other programs are used to prepare demographic statistics.
Usually resident population means all persons having their usual residence in the Republic of Lithuania at the reference time.
Usual residence means the place where a person normally spends the daily period of rest, regardless of temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage.
The following persons alone shall be usual residents of a specific geographical area:
(i) those who have lived in their place of usual residence for a continuous period of at least 12 months before the reference time; or
(ii) those who arrived in their place of usual residence during the 12 months before the reference time with the intention of staying there for at least one year.
3.5. Statistical unit
Usual resident of Lithuania.
3.6. Statistical population
No survey is used but results are derived from administrative data sources.
3.7. Reference area
Data are available at the national, Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county and municipality (in total, tows/cities, rural area) levels.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The number of the resident population by national level is comparable since 1959, by municipality (towns/cities, rural area) level – since 1990.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Data is collected at unit (person) level.
Resident population figures are disseminated in number of persons (absolute numbers), also as shares of various age groups in total population (per cent), crude rates expressed per 1000 of the average population and other.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). To conform to common practice, the population at the end of the year (31 December) will be disseminated as population on 1 January of the following year. The reference period for vital events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred with exception of the monthly time series for vital events, where the reference period is the month of occurrence.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Not applicable.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Not applicable.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
Statistical information is published on the Official Statistics Portal according to the Official Statistics Calendar.
Statistical information is prepared and disseminated under the principle of impartiality and objectivity, i.e. in a systematic, reliable and unbiased manner, following professional and ethical standards (the European Statistics Code of Practice), and the policies and practices followed are transparent to users and survey respondents.
All users have equal access to statistical information. All statistical information is published at the same time – at 9 a.m. on the day of publication of statistical information as indicated in the calendar on the Official Statistics Portal. Relevant statistical information is sent automatically to news subscribers.
The President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, their advisers, the Ministers of Finance, Economy and Innovation, as well as Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania or their authorized persons, as well as, in exceptional cases, external experts and researchers have the right to receive early statistical information. The specified persons are entitled to receive statistical reports on GDP, inflation, employment and unemployment and other particularly relevant statistical reports one day prior to the publication of this statistical information on the Official Statistics Portal. Before exercising the right of early receipt of statistical information, a person shall sign an undertaking not to disseminate the statistical information received before it has been officially published.
Statistical information is published following the Official Statistics Dissemination Policy Guidelines and the Rules for Information Dissemination and Communication of the State Data Agency, approved by Order No DĮ-208 of 8 October 2024 of the Director General of the State Data Agency.
Annual.
The frequency of dissemination of the resident population number – see par. 14.1 (Timeliness) and 17.2 (Data revision – practice).
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not applicable.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not applicable.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
See the information in the Annex file.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Metadata information with quality report is available.
In 2007, a quality management system, conforming to the requirements of the international quality management system standard ISO 9001, was introduced at the State Data Agency. Main trends in activity of the State Data Agency aimed at quality management and continuous development in the institution are established in the Quality Policy.
Monitoring of the quality indicators of statistical processes and their results and self-evaluation of statistical survey managers is regularly carried out in order to identify areas which need improvement and to promptly eliminate shortcomings.
More information on assurance of quality of statistical information and its preparation is published in the Quality Management section on the State Data Agency website.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
1. Nationals
Please indicate the type of duration of stay when counting a person with national citizenship as an usual resident with a minimum duration of stay of 12 months according to Art. 2(d) of Reg. 1260/2013.
1. Actual
2. Intended
3. Actual and intended
4. Other. Please specify below:
No
No
Yes
No
2. EEA Citizens
Please indicate the type of duration of stay when counting a person with EEA citizenship as an usual resident with a minimum duration of stay of 12 months according to Art. 2(d) of Reg. 1260/2013.
1. Actual
2. Intended
3. Actual and intended
4. Other. Please specify below:
No
No
Yes
No
3. NON-EEA Citizens
Please indicate the type of duration of stay when counting a person with non-EEA foreign citizenship as an usual resident with a minimum duration of stay of 12 months according to Art. 2(d) of Reg. 1260/2013.
1. Actual
2. Intended
3. Actual and intended
4. Other. Please specify below:
No
No
Yes
No
After the defined the resident population number by the Population and Housing Census of the Republic of Lithuania, it is compared with estimated resident population number, and if it is the big difference - revised. Population and its composition is also revised in inter-census period.
The data about children under 1-year visits to the medical doctor from Compulsory Health Insurance Information System (Sveidra) under the National Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health is used for the improving of the estimation of the number of live births. In the number of live births are included only those children born abroad who visited to the medical doctor at least once during the year after birth. Number of live births is compared with the final results of the Population and Housing Census of the Republic of Lithuania, in case of discrepancy number of live births is recalculated.
After processing the annual mortality data, analysis is performed. Mortality data by permanent place of residence produced by The State Data Agency are compared with causes of death data produced by Institute of Hygiene. In case of discrepancies, checks of source data are performed, taking in account the changes of permanent place of residence in the Population Register.
Monthly (provisional) statistical data are processed according to declaration of change of place of residence (from Lithuania to foreign country, from foreign country to Lithuania) and following the statistical rules, by merging databases of international migration of demographic statistics and the Population and Housing Census 2011, considering whether an international migrant is included in the database of the Population and Housing Census 2011 and taking into account the international migration history of person.
Annual (final) statistical data are based on monthly (provisional) data and taking into account that:
immigrant who has declared his or her arrival is attributed to annual immigrants if by the end of the reference year he or she has not declared the departure from Lithuania;
emigrant who has declared his or her departure is attributed to annual emigrants if by the end of the reference year he or she has not declared the return to Lithuania.
The results are compared with the results of previous year. If there are significant deviations, reasons for deviations are considered.
The number of emigrants was revised after the Population and Housing Census of the Republic of Lithuania. The number of emigrants by various breakdowns was also revised in inter-census period.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Data requested in Art. 4.1 of Reg. 1260/2013.
Main users of statistical information are State and municipal authorities and agencies, international organizations, the media, research and business communities, students, and Eurostat (the statistical office of the European Union), whose needs are satisfied without a breach of the confidentiality principle. Mortality, as one of the three main demographic processes, is important in assessing the development of demographic processes, trends of their change, level of demographic indicators, and the age structure of the country's population, as well as sustainability of demographic development.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not applicable.
12.3. Completeness
Data requested in Art. 4.1 of Reg. 1260/2013.
Statistical indicators on international migration laid down in Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 are produced and published.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Not applicable.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
For the purposes of qualified majority voting in the Council, Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data on the total population at national level at the reference time, in accordance with Article 2 ( c ), within eight months of the end of the reference year.
Provisional monthly statistical information on the number of live births is published on the 9th–11th days after the end of the reference period. Provisional annual statistical information is published in January after the end of the reference year, and final – in May .
Statistical information is published taking into account flows of statistical data and deadlines for their receipt. Provisional weekly statistical information on the number of deaths is published on the 3rd day after the end of the reference week, and the provisional monthly statistical information – on the 9–11th day after the end of the reference month. Provisional annual statistical information is published in January after the end of the reference year, and final – in May.
Statistical information is published taking into account the flows of statistical data and the deadlines for their receipt. Provisional annual statistical information is published in January after the end of the reference year, final – in March.
14.2. Punctuality
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The total usually resident population transmitted by the national statistical offices to Eurostat in the framework of the Usually Resident Population data collection may differ from those available in National Accounts, Labour Force Survey or in the survey on Income and Living Conditions. The difference is given by the population coverage (see metadata specific to each domain).
15.4. Coherence - internal
The total usually resident population transmitted by the national statistical offices to Eurostat in the framework of the Usually Resident Population data collection may differ from those available in the rest of the Demographic domain. The difference is given by the population definition (see metadata specific to each domain).
Administrative data source are used, no administrative burden for respondents.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not applicable.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
Population
Live births
Deaths
Immigrants
Emigrants
Census data, Population Register and 18 other Lithuanian administrative data
Population Register
Population Register
Census data, Population register, Foreigners’ Register
Census data, Population register, Foreigners’ Register
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Frequency of data on resident population, births, and international migration – monthly, annual.
Frequency of data on deaths – weekly, monthly, annual.
18.3. Data collection
Administrative data are obtained, updated and used in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts in accordance with the agreements and arrangements concluded between the State Data Agency and administrative data managers. Administrative data are received in online mode, under signed data provision agreements.
18.4. Data validation
Statistical data control requirements are set in the statistical surveys on Determination of the Usual Resident Population and its Composition, Fertility, Mortality and International Migration programming work technical specification, produced following an approved survey's methodology.
Statistical information for the reference year is compared with the previous year. Statistical data validation is performed based on the quality of the information received. Trends of the time series, significant changes in trends and reasons that have caused this are analyzed. Relationships among statistical indicators and, in the case of significant deviations, reasons for the deviation are studied. If missing values are detected, errors are corrected.
18.5. Data compilation
Determination of the Usual Resident Population and its Composition, Fertility, Mortality, International migration statistical surveys are total surveys. Methods of grouping and summarizing statistics are used to compile statistical information. Missing administrative data values are recorded using historical data or logical, or nearest neighbor recording methods.
Process of compiling statistical indicators is described in every methodology (Population → Methodology).
First results on the main demographic developments: for the reference year.
The objective of the Determination of the Resident Population and its Composition is to produce and provide to users statistical information on the number of the usually resident population and its structure by sex, age, citizenship, country of birth, marital status, territorial-administrative units (Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county, municipality (in total, towns/cities, rural areas)). Data on usual resident population from the Statistical Population Register is used to define the population. The Statistical Population Register is updated daily with data from the Population Register on births, deaths and changes in usual residence (within the country, entering/leaving the country). The population of usual residents is formed for the reference date by selecting from the Statistical Population Register the persons with the attribute of usual residents.
The objective of the Fertility Statistics is to produce and provide to users’ statistical information on the number of live births by sex, birth order, age of mother, marital status, duration of marriage of parents, Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county, municipality (in total, towns/cities, rural areas), etc. Fertility Statistics is based on the Statistical Population Register data. The population is formed on basis of data from records of births, the baby's and its parents' place of residence and other data from the Statistical Population Register and data from identity documents issued in the Republic of Lithuania.
The objective of the Mortality Statistics is to produce and provide to users statistical information on the number of deaths by sex, age, marital status, citizenship, etc., as well as the number of stillbirths by sex, birth order and age of mother, Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county, municipality (in total, towns/cities, rural areas). The Mortality Statistics based on the Statistical Population Register data. The population is formed on basis of data from records of births and deaths from the Statistical Population Register and data from identity documents issued in the Republic of Lithuania.
The objective of the International Migration Statistics is to produce and provide to users statistical information on the number of immigrants and emigrants, their composition by sex, age, citizenship, country of birth, previous or next place (country) of residence, marital status, Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county, municipality (in total, towns/cities, rural areas), etc. International migration statistics is calculated of the population and its sex and age structure. The main data source of immigration and emigration indicators is the data from the Statistical Population Register. The population of International Migration Statistics is based on the following data from the Statistical Population Register: declared place of residence in the Republic of Lithuania, date of arrival, country of arrival, date of departure, county of destination. The main criteria for defining immigrants and emigrants are the change of a country of permanent residence and duration of stay or absence in case of intention to take up permanent residence in a new place (country) for a period not less than 12 months.
Palantir Foundry (Contour, etc. applications), MS Excel, statistical program package R, and other programs are used to prepare demographic statistics.
8 October 2025
Usually resident population means all persons having their usual residence in the Republic of Lithuania at the reference time.
Usual residence means the place where a person normally spends the daily period of rest, regardless of temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage.
The following persons alone shall be usual residents of a specific geographical area:
(i) those who have lived in their place of usual residence for a continuous period of at least 12 months before the reference time; or
(ii) those who arrived in their place of usual residence during the 12 months before the reference time with the intention of staying there for at least one year.
Usual resident of Lithuania.
No survey is used but results are derived from administrative data sources.
Data are available at the national, Capital Region and Central and Western Lithuanian Region, county and municipality (in total, tows/cities, rural area) levels.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). To conform to common practice, the population at the end of the year (31 December) will be disseminated as population on 1 January of the following year. The reference period for vital events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred with exception of the monthly time series for vital events, where the reference period is the month of occurrence.
Not applicable.
Data is collected at unit (person) level.
Resident population figures are disseminated in number of persons (absolute numbers), also as shares of various age groups in total population (per cent), crude rates expressed per 1000 of the average population and other.
Determination of the Usual Resident Population and its Composition, Fertility, Mortality, International migration statistical surveys are total surveys. Methods of grouping and summarizing statistics are used to compile statistical information. Missing administrative data values are recorded using historical data or logical, or nearest neighbor recording methods.
Process of compiling statistical indicators is described in every methodology (Population → Methodology).
Population
Live births
Deaths
Immigrants
Emigrants
Census data, Population Register and 18 other Lithuanian administrative data
Population Register
Population Register
Census data, Population register, Foreigners’ Register
Census data, Population register, Foreigners’ Register
Annual.
The frequency of dissemination of the resident population number – see par. 14.1 (Timeliness) and 17.2 (Data revision – practice).
For the purposes of qualified majority voting in the Council, Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data on the total population at national level at the reference time, in accordance with Article 2 ( c ), within eight months of the end of the reference year.
Provisional monthly statistical information on the number of live births is published on the 9th–11th days after the end of the reference period. Provisional annual statistical information is published in January after the end of the reference year, and final – in May .
Statistical information is published taking into account flows of statistical data and deadlines for their receipt. Provisional weekly statistical information on the number of deaths is published on the 3rd day after the end of the reference week, and the provisional monthly statistical information – on the 9–11th day after the end of the reference month. Provisional annual statistical information is published in January after the end of the reference year, and final – in May.
Statistical information is published taking into account the flows of statistical data and the deadlines for their receipt. Provisional annual statistical information is published in January after the end of the reference year, final – in March.
