Lithuania

Last update: October, 2025

Promoting participation in culture and the consumption of cultural services and products forms Objective 1 under Goal 4—“to strengthen national and civic identity, increase the reach of culture, and enhance society’s creativity”—of Lithuania’s National Progress Plan 2021–2030. The objective demands to encourage residents to take part in cultural activities and contribute to cultural development.

To address this objective, the Plan provides for: increasing access to high-artistic-value, diverse and inclusive cultural content; investing in the digitisation and accessibility of cultural resources; implementing the Lithuanian Capital of Culture project; ensuring the continuity of amateur arts activities and traditional culture and the operation of the Lithuanian National Culture Centre; ensuring the continuity of the Song Festival tradition; supplying libraries with up-to-date information and documents; implementing the strategic directions of public information policy and initiatives to develop society’s critical thinking and media and information literacy; carrying out media and information literacy competence-building activities in libraries; conducting feasibility studies, evaluations and research in the field of culture; and ensuring funding for the Culture Pass programme. For all these measures, the planned allocations are EUR 52 069 000 for 2025, EUR 54 991 000 for 2026, and EUR 46 873 000 for 2027.

Some of the measures listed under Objective 1 were already being implemented earlier, before the National Progress Plan was approved in 2020. In 2018, the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, launched a programme for schoolchildren called Culture Pass (Kultūros pasas). The aim of the measure is to improve access to cultural and educational projects and events, develop cultural awareness and experience of schoolchildren by providing appropriate cultural and artistic services. The measure provides each pupil with an amount of money that could be used for visiting performances, concerts or exhibitions offered by various cultural organisations and selected by expert groups according to the needs of different age groups and other criteria. Depending on the age group, the pupil attends cultural and artistic events either with their class or individually. The range of services that can be chosen per year depends on the price of the service. The whole list of services is published on the Cultural Education System portal. From 1 January 2023, an account is created for each pupil in the Cultural Education System for the calendar year, to which funds are assigned for paying for Services. The amount of funds for a pupil is calculated based on the number of pupils in the Pupil Register as of 1 January, by allocating to each pupil an amount obtained by dividing the earmarked state budget funds intended to finance Culture Pass Services by the number of pupils.

Since 2008, following the contest of European Capital of Culture, the contest Lithuanian Capital of Culture has been organised. Under this programme, the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture organises a contest and selects one Lithuanian town (except for the capital Vilnius) each year as the Lithuanian capital of culture. The town is selected after experts evaluate the Capital of Culture projects submitted by the municipalities. The contest is organised every three years, and cultural capitals for three consecutive years are announced as a result. Selected projects receive partial financial support from the Ministry of Culture. The programme seeks to promote the cultural activity and creativity of the residents of Lithuanian regions, develop culture, arts, and creative industries, and expand access to culture. Each nominated municipality implements cultural programmes, organises music and theatre festivals, exhibitions, and provides educational workshops for children and young people. In general, the project has vitalised the activities of local communities, schools, arts and culture institutions, stimulated cultural participation and become an important factor for local and regional development.

In 2015, another competitive project – The Minor Lithuanian Capital of Culture – was initiated and started by the Ministry of Culture and the community of Naisiai village. The Minor Lithuanian Capital of Culture competition is announced and organised by the Union of Rural Communities of Lithuania. It is a project that stimulates small towns and villages to be involved in cultural life and creative processes. The Lithuanian Council for Culture runs a special funding programme “The Minor Lithuanian Capital of Culture” which is dedicated to the projects of villages and small towns.

In 2006, in order to promote reading and help improve reading skills, the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture approved the Reading Promotion Programme. The Programme supports various reading promotion initiatives and projects: the election of the Book of the Year and the early reading programme Book Start (organised by Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania), the Top 12 Most Creative Books competition (organised by the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore), the summer reading action Summer with a Book, and the event Lithuania Reads (coordinated by the Lithuanian Publishers Association) organised on 7 May, the Press Recovery Day.

Last update: October, 2025

The Lithuanian Ministry of Culture commissions representative surveys of the Lithuanian population (15 years and over) about participation in culture and satisfaction with cultural services since 2013. The survey is carried out every 3 years. Currently, data from the surveys of 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023 are available. The questionnaire used in the first two surveys has been prepared within the full scope of the cultural participation questionnaire of the ESS-net Culture. The scope of the questionnaire of 2020 is broader. According to the authors of the survey report, the survey consisted of two phases: during the first phase, 1 200 residents were surveyed by way of face-to-face interviews at their homes, and during the second phase, 1 963 respondents were additionally surveyed. The questionnaire used in the second phase was expanded to include additional topics, which, according to the authors, allows for the identification of links between involvement in culture and social capital and to start observing the trends of cultural consumption by residents from less favourable cultural backgrounds.  The results of the survey of 2020 cover the period of 12 months before the introduction of the first quarantine on 16 March 2020; therefore, reference is normally made to the cultural activity, participation or cultural consumption by the population during the period from March 2019 to March 2020. The 2023 survey was conducted in July–August. It interviewed 3,307 residents of Lithuania about their cultural activity over the past 12 months. The questions addressed: (1) engagement in culture, i.e., involvement in cultural activities and in creative or artistic expression, such as singing, painting, sculpting/modelling, filmmaking; (2) social participation/volunteering, i.e., involvement in voluntary social activities related to cultural clubs, societies, groups, or organisations, contributing to their activities with one’s time or resources. Such participation includes patronage, charitable and community activities related to culture; (3) use of culture, i.e., attending events, using cultural services, and consuming cultural products. There was also a block of questions on the evaluation of cultural accessibility and quality.

According to surveys from 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023, cultural participation intensified by 2023: the share of people who consumed at least four cultural products or live cultural services rose from 42.6% (2014) to 56.2% (2023), i.e. +13.6 percentage points. Among live services, the largest increase was in museum visits — 37.8% → 59.5% (+21.7 pp) — while the steepest fall was in in-person library visits — 36.7% → 31.4% (−5.3 pp). In virtual consumption, the biggest increase was watching/listening to programmes about museums and cultural heritage — 41.4% → 45.2% (+3.8 pp) — and the biggest decrease was watching/listening to recordings of performing-arts events — 79.3% → 65.0% (−14.3 pp). Performing arts events have been and remain the most popular form of cultural service (85.6% of people attend), while watching films and videos is the most common form of cultural consumption (96.8% watch).

Table 31: Persons (≥15 years) who have consumed cultural products during the last 12 months in Lithuania in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023, %.

Source: Participation in Culture and Satisfaction with Cultural in Lithuania, 2023

The comparison of the data about the consumption of state-funded cultural activities and activities without large public subsidies shows the latter to be more popular, because they’re mostly mass-media habits you can do at home. Figures demonstrate an increase in their consumption in almost all categories except watching TV and reading periodicals. The largest increase (by 21 % and 10 %) of the consumption in the group of state funded activities is in the categories of museum and monuments visiting (see the table below).

Table 32: Persons (≥15 years) who attended a certain cultural activity during the last 12 months in Lithuania (in % of the population, in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023)   

Source: Participation in Culture and Satisfaction with Cultural in Lithuania, 2023

According to the data of 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023, the most popular participatory cultural activity in Lithuania was making textile works; 15% of the population was engaged in creating textiles. Painting and drawing as forms of cultural participation take second place; 12% of the population was engaged in these activities. In 2023, the largest increase was in the number of residents engaged in photography (+6%), and the largest decrease in acting in theatre (-2%) (see table 33).

Table 33: People who have carried out artistic activities in Lithuania in the last 12 months by type of activity, in % of total population, period 2014, 2017, 2020, and 2023

Source: Participation in Culture and Satisfaction with Cultural in Lithuania, 2023

Regarding barriers to participation in cultural life, the most frequently cited personal reasons are lack of time, lack of interest, and the cost of cultural services. Reported shares were, respectively, 47/45/43/42% (2014/2017/2020/2023) for lack of time; 25/28/34/25% for lack of interest; and 37/36/23/23% for cost. Thus, lack of time shows a steady decline, lack of interest peaked in 2020 and returned to its 2014 level by 2023, and cost dropped markedly after 2017 and then stabilised. In 2023, cost was cited far less often than in 2014–2017 (23% vs. 36–37%), while lack of interest slightly exceeded cost (25% vs. 23%, +2 pp) (see table 34). Regarding barriers related to the supply of and access to cultural services, the most commonly cited problems in 2023 were poor accessibility and lack of information (each 16%; previously 16%/16%/18% and 8%/10%/15% in 2014/2017/2020, respectively). Limited choice was the third most frequent concern (12% in 2023; 11%/10%/13% in 2014/2017/2020). Overall, however, the principal reasons for non-participation are personal rather than supply-side. Notably, the share of respondents reporting no obstacles to cultural participation increased steadily from 5% in 2014 to 17% in 2023 (see table 34).

Table 34: Reasons of non-participation in culture in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023

Source: Participation in Culture and Satisfaction with Cultural in Lithuania, 2023

Last update: October, 2025

Table 35: Household cultural expenditure by expenditure purpose, 2012, 2016, 2021

Source: Official Statistics Portal

Last update: October, 2025

According to the data of Register of NGOs, there have 2 225 NGOs in Lithuania in 2025. 451 NGOs develop activities in the fields of democracy and citizenship, and 1168 have been working in the fields of culture and leisure (these two categories may overlap). Policy of NGO is coordinated by the Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labour according to the Law on the Development of Nongovernmental Organisation (2013) (last edition in 2025). The activities of NGOs are partially funded through tenders of the Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labour.

In Lithuania, participation in culture and civic activism is also promoted by cultural centres. According to the Lithuanian National Cultural Centre, in 2024, there were 146 cultural centres and 462 of their branches and subdivisions that are located in urban and rural territories of Lithuania, with 2 461 amateur art groups, 705 studios and clubs that have in total 42 988 participants. Children's and youth groups (up to age 19) comprise 30 % of all amateur arts groups, and young participants comprise about 34 % of all participants.

Table 36: Number of cultural centres, amateur arts groups and participants in 2015–2024

Sources: Official Statistics Portal and Lithuanian National Cultural Centre

The activity of state and municipal cultural centres is regulated by the Law on Centres of Culture (2004) (last edition in 2024). The Law distinguishes between state, municipal and other centres. State centres for culture have the legal form of a budget or public institution and are founded by the Ministry of Culture. Municipal centres for culture have the legal form of a budget or public institution and are founded by the municipalities. Other centres for culture are established by private persons or social organisations and can have various legal forms. The name of each cultural centre, regardless of its legal form, must include the words “centre for culture”. According to the law, a legal person seeking recognition as a cultural centre must perform at least two of the following functions: to create conditions for dissemination of ethnic culture; organise activities of artistic collectives of amateurs, workshops, and hobby groups; take care of preparation of artistic collectives of amateurs and their participation in song festivals, local, regional, national and international events; organise recreational, educational and other events; organise commemoration of national holidays, remembrance days, calendar feast days; take care of employment, artistic education of children and youth; organise events popularising ethnic culture, amateur art, to meet other cultural needs of the community; create conditions for dissemination of professional art; and satisfy the sociocultural needs of population.

State and municipal culture centres are financed from the state and municipal budgets, respectively. Other culture centres are financed from their own funds. Culture centres may receive budget appropriations by participating, in accordance with the procedures laid down in legal acts, in competitions announced by the Ministry of Culture, counties, or municipal councils for the implementation of cultural activity programmes financed from the state or municipal budgets. The Ministry and municipalities may also provide additional budget funding for culture centres’ activities related to the organisation of state events.

The main political body shaping the policy of cultural centres is the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry founds, reorganises and liquidates cultural institutions providing methodological assistance to cultural and art workers of culture centres, helping to implement qualification improvement programmes for cultural workers; establishes a strategy of the development of culture centres; finances their cultural programmes and projects, which are important for the Lithuanian culture; draws up drafts of legal acts regulating activities of culture centres and approves them in the prescribed manner; approves a list of positions of cultural and art workers of culture centres; approves forms of statistical reports; organises qualification improvement of workers of culture centres; approves regulations of assessment of cultural and art workers of state and municipal culture centres, and supervises the assessment; approves criteria of granting of categories to centres for culture and lays down a procedure of accreditation of culture centres, etc.

The Council of the Centres for Culture is an advisory body under the Ministry of Culture, which carries out the expert and consultant functions when resolving the issues concerning the shaping and implementation of a policy of Lithuanian centres for culture. The Council of Centres for Culture comprises 11 members. 8 members are appointed and recalled by the Association of Lithuanian Culture Centres and 3 members by the Ministry of Culture.

The Lithuanian National Cultural Centre is a state budgetary institution promoting cultural and creative expressions of the society, the development of ethnic culture and amateur art. It operates under the Ministry of Culture of Lithuania. The Centre plays an important role within the national cultural institution system, helping society and individuals acknowledge and preserve their cultural identity and representing Lithuanian ethnic and amateur culture abroad. This role is primarily realised through numerous events the Centre organizes, such as Lithuanian Song Celebration (inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity), international folk festivals Baltica and Griežynė, Baltic student song celebration Gaudeamus, Lithuanian national costume exhibitions and presentations, ethnic craft symposiums and seminars, folklore, children and adult choir festivals, folk dance competitions, wind orchestra championships, children and youth theatre festivals, folk art exhibitions.

The Association of Lithuanian Culture Centres (ALCC) unites 96% of all Lithuanian culture centres. Its aim is to represent the interests of centres for culture and to ensure that their activities are accessible in Lithuania and abroad. ALCC is a member of the European Network for Cultural Centres. It also delegates 8 members to the Council of Cultural Centres under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. Members of ALCC take part in working groups, expert groups, funding programmes of the Seimas, the Government, the Ministry of Culture, and prepare projects of various normative acts.  Members of ALCC are members of committees of the Lithuanian Association of Municipalities and take part in the election of the Lithuanian Council for Culture.

To encourage creativity among cultural centres and recognise the best achievements and work of cultural centres, the Ministry of Culture established three Prizes for the Best Cultural Centres of the Year. These prizes are awarded for active, creative and innovative activities over the past five years in fostering ethnic culture and amateur art, creating artistic programmes, expanding educational and recreational activities, meeting the cultural needs of the community and organising the spread of professional art.

In 2005, the Ministry of Culture established the Prize for Active, Creative Activities at Cultural Centres. The goal of the prize is to encourage professional activities among arts and culture employees at cultural centres and to recognise their best achievements and work. Heads of cultural centres and arts and culture employees who work at cultural centres can be nominated for the prize.