Lithuania’s population is ageing rapidly. The share of the population aged 65 years and over is expected to grow from 20% in 2019 to 32% in 2050 – faster than the EU average. A growing share of people who need help with their daily activities – so called long-term care. The governance of long-term care is fragmented between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour and the municipalities.

Lithuania is one of the fastest-ageing countries in Europe. Its working-age population is not only ageing, but also expected to decline significantly, giving rise to considerable economic, labour market, social and public governance challenges. The inclusion of older persons has improved in many areas in the past two decades. Yet, many Lithuanians aged 55 and over continue to lag in fully engaging in society relative to younger people and their peers in neighbouring countries.

Many OECD governments regularly identify violence against women as the top gender equality issue their country faces. Yet in all countries, addressing this multifaceted issue presents serious governance and implementation challenges as victims/survivors have complex needs both during and after experiences of violence.

This report promotes a comprehensive approach to breaking the cycle of gender-based violence by combining insights from recent OECD work with robust evidence from surveys and questionnaires conducted in OECD Member countries.

Despite strong economic performance and significant governance reforms over the past few decades, Lithuania has a higher share of its population at-risk-of poverty than other EU countries, with some people more at risk than others, particularly people with multiple and complex needs in vulnerable situations who tend to rely more on public services.

Estonian living standards have doubled since 2000 and income convergence was steady prior to the pandemic, although per capita GDP and productivity remain below the OECD averages. The economy experienced a severe downturn due to disruptions in trade, weaker export demand, high inflation and tight monetary conditions. With improvements in external demand, growth should start to recover this year.

The COVID-19 pandemic had massive consequences for societies and health systems across the OECD and beyond. Health systems were not resilient enough. Resilient health systems plan and are ready for shocks, such as pandemics, economic crises or the effects of climate change.