In Lithuania, the financial situation of people with disabilities remains extremely difficult, according to Eurostat data. More than 38 % of people with disabilities are at risk of poverty, and nearly 46 % face the risk of poverty or social exclusion. These are among the highest rates in the European Union, well above the EU averages (20.7 % and 28.8 %, respectively).

Poverty Risk and the Labor Market

Employment often reduces the risk of poverty, but it does not always eliminate it. Only one in two people with disabilities in the EU has a job, compared with three-quarters of people without disabilities.

In Lithuania, this problem is particularly acute: 31.6 % of people with disabilities under the age of 65 live in households with very low work intensity. This means that many people with disabilities are unable to work full-time or cannot participate in the labor market at all.

Social Support and Accessibility

Social benefits play a key role in reducing the risk of poverty. According to Eurostat, as many as 68 % of people with disabilities in the EU in 2024 would have been at risk of poverty if they had not received social support. Yet even with social benefits, more than a third of people with disabilities in the Baltic countries still face financial difficulties. Lithuania has the highest poverty risk among people with disabilities in the entire EU – 38.2 %.

“Economic well-being is closely linked to the accessibility of the environment for people with different disabilities – including workplaces, infrastructure, educational and healthcare institutions, transport, information, and other areas. When these are not adapted for people with disabilities, both financial and social exclusion increase. Lithuania must therefore work at all levels to ensure that people with disabilities can fully exercise their rights – to learn, work, and participate in society without barriers,” says Equal Opportunities Ombudswoman Birutė Sabatauskaitė.