After authorities began deregistering thousands of foreign nationals who had registered their place of residence in university dormitories, Šiauliai lost approximately 6,000 registered residents over the course of six months. This revealed a demographic decline that had previously been masked by inflated figures.The situation has shed light on how the registration of citizens from third countries in Lithuania’s fourth-largest city created the impression that the city’s population was growing—despite low birth rates and a natural decline in the population.Last spring, approximately 17,000 individuals had registered their place of residence in dormitories belonging to the Šiauliai Academy of Vilnius University. A business operator renting space from the university had permitted foreign nationals to register their residence there. Upon discovering this, the university ordered the deregistration of individuals who did not actually live in the dormitories. Renata Bilbokaitė, head of the Academy, stated that only students enrolled at the Šiauliai Academy of Vilnius University are permitted to register their residence in the dormitories—in accordance with university policy—and that all others have been asked to deregister. Over the past six months, the registered places of residence for more than 6,000 individuals—none of whom live in dormitories—have been cancelled. Another 2,000 such registrations are set to be cancelled in the coming months. Diana Grigienė, Head of the Customer Service Department for the Šiauliai Municipality, explained that the process is time-consuming due to limited administrative resources. She noted that the de-registration is carried out based on personal data provided by companies, identifying individuals who do not actually reside at the registered addresses. Only two staff members in the department handle residence registrations, and it is not possible to process more than one hundred cases in a single day.The mass registration of foreign nationals has distorted the city’s demographic statistics, creating the appearance of a growing population when, in reality, the trend is negative.In the first half of 2026, 321 births were recorded in Šiauliai, while nearly 700 deaths occurred. Zakiras Medžidovas, a member of the Šiauliai City Council, stated that these inflated figures have hindered the municipality from effectively addressing the city’s demographic challenges. He noted that residents had frequently been told the city was growing, but it turns out this was an illusion. In reality, the city’s population is either shrinking or remaining stagnant—a situation that calls for a demographic policy. However, no such policy has been developed, as the underlying data had provided a misleadingly positive picture.According to official statistics, approximately 111,000 people—including citizens of other countries—were living in Šiauliai as of July. This figure is expected to drop significantly by the end of the year, once the process of deregistering foreign nationals is complete. City officials have pointed out, however, that this will not affect Šiauliai’s status as a major city. Furthermore, it was noted that foreign nationals have a positive economic impact, even if they are merely registered in the city without actually residing there. Justinas Švėgžda, Deputy Mayor of Šiauliai, explained that if individuals are registered in Šiauliai and their place of employment is also based in the city, they pay personal income tax—revenue that is used to fund public services, social security, healthcare, education, culture, and sports.Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/3102229/apparent-population-growth-in-siauliai-turns-out-to-be-statistical-illusion
Population growth in Šiauliai turns out to be a statistical illusion
