The Lithuanian capital Vilnius is expanding, but many of its residents are choosing to move to the surrounding areas, where they are attracted by lower housing costs and remote work opportunities.
Last year, most people who left Vilnius declared their place of residence nearby – in the Vilnius district, which encompasses Vilnius from the north, east and south, and in the Trakai district, which borders the city from the west. Last year, 750 people who previously lived in Vilnius declared their place of residence in the Trakai district municipality.
Andrius Šatevičius, the head of the Trakai district municipality, said that this trend has been observed for five years in a row. He assumed that the number of residents in the district will also increase next year, as construction permits have already been issued.
More than 5,000 former residents of the capital have declared their place of residence in the Vilnius district. Neighborhoods located in the immediate vicinity of the city are growing the fastest. The mayor of the district municipality, Robert Duchnevič, noted that people want to live near the city in order to easily get to work and enjoy the city’s entertainment offer, while at the same time gaining the opportunity to breathe cleaner air and live in a private home.
Statistics show that between 2016 and 2020, approximately 9,000 Vilnius residents moved to another municipality or went abroad every year.
In recent years, this number has increased to an average of 12,000 people per year.
Vilnius city officials indicated that the trend is not detrimental to the capital’s growth. Municipality representative Julius Lukošius said that people are more likely to sleep in the districts adjacent to the city, but they work, study and probably spend most of their lives in the city.
Economist Greta Ilekytė noted that the trend of moving to the regions took hold after the pandemic, when many began to evaluate their living conditions – after having to spend time in the four walls of an apartment, people decided that they needed second homes or a bigger house. In some parishes, including Utena parish, the number of residents aged 30-39 has increased by a third in recent years.
Experts predict that more and more people will leave Vilnius and other large cities. The cost of living in the Lithuanian capital is the highest compared to the other Baltic countries, and a family with an average income can only afford an apartment of 64 square meters. Ilekytė said that this is a rather small area, and many are looking for opportunities to live more comfortably and better elsewhere.
Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2849477/from-capital-to-countryside-a-growing-shift-around-vilnius
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