Estonia vs Lithuania development indicators, 2024

Indicator	Estonia, Value	Lithuania, Value	Estonia, Rank	Lithuania, Rank	Estonia as % of Lithuania
Current account balance (% of GDP)	-1.15	2.48	64	35
Exports of goods and services (% of GDP)	76.3	74.1	15	19	103 %
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP)	-8.18	4.24	105	24
GDP per capita (current US$)	31,170	29,386	41	44	106 %
GDP per capita, PPP (current international US$)	49,334	54,414	44	37	90.7 %
Imports of goods and services (% of GDP)	75.7	68.9	15	24	110 %
Inflation, consumer prices (annual %)	3.52	0.716	62	145	492 %
Net migration	-7,742	2,617	147	61
Population, total	1,371,986	2,888,055	155	138	47.5 %

Demography and Health

Estonia and Lithuania exhibit notable differences in their demographics and health indicators. In 2023, Estonia recorded a birth rate of 8 per 1,000 people, compared to Lithuania's 7.2, ranking 64th and 74th respectively. In terms of mortality, Estonia has a lower crude death rate (11.7 per 1,000 people) than Lithuania (12.9 per 1,000 people), ranking 35th and 23rd. Life expectancy at birth in Estonia is 78.5 years, slightly higher than Lithuania's 77 years, ranking 55th and 62nd. Furthermore, Estonia has a lower under-5 mortality rate (2.1 per 1,000 live births) compared to Lithuania (3.4), with ranks of 81 and 47 respectively. Both countries report a prevalence of undernourishment at 2.5% of the population. However, Estonia shows a more efficient handling of mental health, reflected in a lower suicide mortality rate of 14.9 per 100,000 population, in contrast to Lithuania's 22.1. Net migration statistics show Estonia facing challenges with a net migration of -7,742, while Lithuania experiences a positive net migration of 2,617 in 2024.

Economy

The economic performance of Estonia and Lithuania varies across several metrics. In 2024, Estonia's GDP per capita stands at $31,170, while Lithuania’s is lower at $29,386, with ranks of 59 and 63, respectively. When adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), Estonia's GDP per capita is $49,334, contrasting with Lithuania’s $54,414, indicating a better standard of living in Lithuania despite its lower GDP per capita. Estonia leads in high-technology exports, valued at $2.1 billion compared to Lithuania’s $3.7 billion, showing its potential as a technology hub. Inflation rates are significantly higher in Estonia at 3.5% compared to just 0.7% in Lithuania. Finally, Estonia's foreign direct investment shows a net outflow of -8.2% of GDP, whereas Lithuania enjoys net inflows of 4.2%, ranking 97th and 34th, respectively.

Trade and Investment

Both countries maintain high levels of trade relative to their GDP, with Estonia at 76.3% and Lithuania at 74.1%, positioning them at ranks 43 and 45 respectively for exports of goods and services. Estonia has a relatively high imports to GDP ratio at 75.7%, which is significantly higher than Lithuania's 68.9%, reflecting different trade balances. The current account balance indicates Estonia is at a deficit of -1.1% of GDP while Lithuania has a surplus of 2.5%, ranking them at 70 and 32 respectively. These indicators suggest that while both economies are trade-oriented, Lithuania has a more favorable trade balance and sustainably attracts foreign investments.

Governance and Institutions

Estonia generally excels in governance metrics compared to Lithuania. In 2023, it demonstrates a control of corruption score of 1.5 versus Lithuania's 0.8, placing Estonia at 23rd and Lithuania at 35th. Estonia also shows higher government effectiveness (1.3) compared to Lithuania (1.1), with respective ranks of 26 and 38. The rule of law and regulatory quality are similar between both countries, with Estonia ranking slightly higher at 25th and 24th compared to Lithuania’s 31st and 29th. However, Lithuania does enjoy greater political stability, with both countries scoring the same in the Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism indicator at 0.7. Estonia's military expenditure stands at $1.2 billion, substantially lower than Lithuania's $2.2 billion.

Infrastructure and Technology

In terms of infrastructure and technology, both Estonia and Lithuania scored identically in the logistics performance index for trade and transport-related infrastructure, both achieving a score of 3.5, ranking 16th. Estonia has demonstrated significant technological advancement, with a high percentage of Internet users at 93.2% compared to Lithuania's 88.5%, showing a larger digital inclusion in society. Research and development expenditure as a percentage of GDP is also notably higher in Estonia at 1.8%, compared to Lithuania’s 1.1%, reinforcing Estonia's commitment to technological innovation and infrastructure development.

Environment and Sustainability

Environmental performance shows mixed results between Estonia and Lithuania. Estonia has a higher renewable energy consumption rate of 38% compared to Lithuania's 33.2%, ranking 5th and 8th respectively. However, Estonia's total greenhouse gas emissions per capita is notably higher at 10.5 tons of CO2 equivalent, compared to Lithuania's 7.2 tons, reflecting differing approaches to sustainability. Additionally, fresh water stress in Estonia is significant, with 10.8% of available freshwater resources being withdrawn, while Lithuania faces considerably lower water stress at 1.8%. These indicators highlight varying environmental challenges and commitments to sustainable practices in both countries.