On its website Lietuvosfinansai.lt, Lithuania’s Ministry of Finance presents an updated Municipal Life Quality Index (LQI).The municipal LQI shows the differences between Lithuanian municipalities in 2013 – 2020. The Life Quality Index is the result of an aggregation system of simple indicators classified into six categories: material living conditions; entrepreneurship of inhabitants and business competitiveness; health services; educational services; demographic, civil and public activity; public infrastructure, quality and safety of the living environment. The updated version for various municipalities uses data from the year 2021.
The Index shows that Vilnius is still the leader in life quality. The top five remained the same: Vilnius municipality, Kaunas municipality, Kaunas district, Klaipėda municipality and Neringa, with the only change being that Kaunas district surpassed the municipality of Klaipėda. Compared to 2020, Mažeikių district newly entered the top five in the category of entrepreneurship, with Raseiniai, Zarasai and Molėtai districts qualifying for the education category and Pakruojis district for public infrastructure.
The index consists of 41 indicators in six categories: living conditions; entrepreneurship and competitiveness; health services; education services; demographics, civil and social activity; public infrastructure; environment quality and security. The Index provides the general and specific evaluation of indicators, comparative differences and changes between 2013 and 2021.
In the top five municipalities between 2013 and 2021 the most progress was achieved in the Kaunas district, which rose from 12th place in 2013 to 3rd place in 2021, with a rating increase of 83%. Progress in the other 4 municipalities grew between 52 and 59%. Rated best in the area of criminality was Neringa municipality, with only 1076 criminal offenses per 100,000 of population. The highest criminality was noted in Vilnius and Kaunas, with 1830 and 1671 offenses respectively.
In general quality of life category for 2021, Vilnius and Kaunas were rated as highest in take-home pay, with 1139 euros and 1046 euros per month respectively. Lowest was Zarasai district, with 720 euros per month. This municipality came in lowest in the Index, with Skuodas, Kelmė, Vilkaviškis and Lazdijai at second, third, fourth and fifth lowest.
