A Belarusian who lived in Lithuania for 7 years moved to Poland. The internet portal Devby presents his account of why he decided to leave Vilnius.
"It Will Most Likely Get Worse"
"I lived in Lithuania for 7 years, since 2018. Once, this country was one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe, but now it is a sad country with high prices," begins his story Alexander, a business analyst who lived in Lithuania for 7 years and moved to Poznań in 2025, writes Otkrito.lv.
"Lithuania was the fastest-growing economy in Europe from 2016 to 2019, often referred to as the 'best hub for tech startups' in various rankings. Vilnius was a very dynamically developing, vibrant place back then. But after COVID, everything froze. Prices are like in Copenhagen, but you are not in Copenhagen, and it is unclear what you are paying for. Plus, high taxes, and infrastructure is not improving. It is becoming duller, establishments are closing, and life is getting more expensive."
"In the summer of 2025, I opened the IMF report on Lithuania for 2024. And it clearly states: the limits of economic growth that could be achieved after COVID, if production volumes were increased, have been exhausted. Further growth is only possible if productivity increases. That is, science, technology, innovation, R&D, and so on."
"And how can this be achieved? Who will come here to work? Norwegians? Unlikely. Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians? They are being pushed out now. What will happen in the future is, to put it mildly, unclear. It will most likely get worse," Alexander believes.
"Everyone is Waiting for War"
"Almost everyone from my circle has left in the last year and a half. Mostly to Poland, some to Germany. Among those who stayed, the mood is 'we need to leave, and as soon as possible.' Some people—maybe one or two—mention the same reasons as I do: it is too expensive and dreary to live in Lithuania. Many are worried about the situation with the drones that fell in Lithuania. At first, they could not be found, then they said that there seemed to be no drones at all."
"For many, such behavior from the authorities has become a signal that they are unable to cope with threats. If they cannot shoot down two drones, what will happen if a whole swarm flies? What should people do? Evacuate along the Neris? Therefore, many want to leave, precisely for their safety."
"And everyone is waiting for war in the background. If not a full-scale war, then at least escalation or military provocations," Alexander concludes.
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