29th October 2024
The Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson (OEOO) in Lithuania recently conducted a representative public opinion survey to examine xenophobic attitudes among the country’s residents. The study explored views on renting housing to individuals of various nationalities, religions, and other identity traits. Strikingly, the findings revealed that only 9% of respondents would agree to rent housing to individuals of Roma ethnicity.
“In the survey conducted in July, we asked residents about their attitudes toward individuals who have moved to Lithuania from other countries. When discussing renting housing, we also included other identities such as people of Roma ethnicity and families with small children. The results clearly highlight that Lithuanians harbor significant prejudices against certain groups. However, the group most frequently rejected were not immigrants, but Roma people—65% of respondents indicated they would refuse to rent housing to them. This is particularly noteworthy as Roma individuals are often fellow citizens who have lived in Lithuania for many years,” said Ieva Laugalytė, Senior Advisor at the OEOO.
The survey also showed that fewer than a quarter of respondents would rent housing to a Russian (21%) or a Muslim (22%). About a third expressed willingness to rent to a black person (29%) or to someone who does not speak Lithuanian (34%). In comparison, 39% of respondents said they would rent to a foreigner.
While the survey highlighted widespread reluctance to rent to people of different nationalities, religions, or skin colors, attitudes toward Ukrainians were notably more positive. Nearly half of respondents (46%) said they would agree to rent housing to Ukrainians, surpassing even families with small children (40%).
“It is deeply concerning not only because of the negative attitudes but also because of the stark double standards revealed in the survey,” Laugalytė noted. “Although 39% of respondents were open to renting to foreigners, the figure drops sharply for specific groups like Muslims, Russians, and black individuals. The unwillingness to rent to families with small children further illustrates how these biases can intersect. For example, a Muslim family with children would likely face compounded difficulties in securing housing.”
The study also uncovered generational differences in attitudes. Older respondents, particularly those over 56, displayed the most pronounced negative views. Among this group, 53% said they would refuse to rent housing to a black person, and 56% expressed reluctance to rent to a Muslim.
A representative survey of the Lithuanian population was conducted on July 19–29, 2024. It was conducted by “Spinter tyrimai”. 1007 people over 18 years of age were surveyed.