7. Financing and support
Lithuania
Last update: February, 2020
In 2018, Lithuania's GDP at current prices was 45 264 400 000 EUR, GDP per capita at current prices was 16 157 EUR. In 2017, public expenditure on culture* at all levels of government was 449 million EUR. The central government’s share of expenditure was 243.2 million EUR, and the share of local governments was 205.8 million EUR. Public expenditure on culture in percentage of the total public expenditure was 3.2 per cent, and in percentage of GDP was 1.1 per cent. Public expenditure on culture per capita was 158 EUR.
Figure 1. General government expenditure in Lithuania in 2017

Source: Lithuanian Department of Statistics
*Public expenditure on culture (ESA 2010) comprises data of the indicator CG080 “recreation, culture and religion” as it is presented in database of Lithuanian Department of Statistics and Eurostat according to the COFOG 1999.
Over the last five years, the total public expenditure on culture has been gradually increasing. Consequently, per capita cultural expenditure has also increased, both as a result of increasing appropriations for culture and population decline. The share in GDP of expenditure for culture has not changed substantially over the last five years and it is about 1 per cent of GDP.
Table 38: GDP and public expenditure on culture in 2013–2018
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
GDP at current prices, in millions EUR | 35 002 | 36 555 | 37 336 | 38 855 | 42 280 | 45 285 |
GDP per capita at current prices, EUR | 11 828 | 12 462 | 12 884 | 13 486 | 14 796 | 16 157 |
Public expenditure on culture (all levels), in millions EUR | 286.8 | 327.5 | 351.7 | 397.4 | 449.0 | - |
Public expenditure on culture (all levels) in percentage of the total public expenditure in that year | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.2 | - |
Public expenditure on culture per capita, in EUR | 96 | 112 | 121 | 139 | 158 | - |
Public expenditure on culture in percentage of the GDP | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.1 | - |
Last update: February, 2020
Table 39. Public cultural expenditure by level of government, 2017
Level of government | Total expenditure on culture in EUR | % share of total |
State (central) | 243 200 000 | 54% |
Local (municipal) | 205 800 000 | 46% |
TOTAL | 449 000 000 | 100% |
Last update: October, 2014
There is no detailed information on the direct government expenditure on culture by sector in Lithuania. The data can only be compiled approximately according to the Annual Budget Reports of the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, the Law on the Approval of Financial Indicators of the State Budget and Municipal Budgets for the corresponding year as well as annual reports of the Lithuanian Council for Culture, Film Centre, and the Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation.
Table 40: Direct state cultural expenditure by sector, 2018, in 1000 of EUR
Field/Domain/Sub-domain | Total in 1000 EUR | Total in % | |
---|---|---|---|
I. Cultural Heritage | |||
Historical Monuments | 9 331.461 | 3.82 | |
Museums | 43 612.504 | 17.85 | |
Archives | 7 438.200 | 3.04 | |
Libraries | 13 874.430 | 5.68 | |
Intangible Heritage / Folk Culture | 5 468.142 | 2.24 | |
II. Visual Arts | |||
Fine Arts / Plastic Arts | 2 258.374 | 0.92 | |
Photography | 625.113 | 0.26 | |
Architecture*** | 561.515 | 0.23 | |
Design / Applied Arts | 341.196 | 0.14 | |
III. Performing Arts | |||
Music | 15 270.141 | 6.25 | |
Theatre, Music Theatre, Dance | 40 426.686 | 16.54 | |
Multidisciplinary | 1 016.017 | 0.42 | |
IV. Books and Press | |||
Books | 1 180.388 | 0.48 | |
Press | 1 513.941 | 0.62 | |
V. Audiovisual and Multimedia | |||
Cinema | 6 422.534 | 2.63 | |
Television and radio | 40 208.240 | 16.46 | |
Sound recordings | - | - | |
Multimedia | 429.000 | 0.18 | |
VI. Interdisciplinary | 1 012.005 | 0.41 | |
Socio-culture | 957.357 | 0.39 | |
Cultural Relations Abroad | 2 103.748 | 0.86 | |
Administration**** | 48 521.380 | 19.86 | |
Cultural Education**** | 679.500 | 0.28 | |
VII. Not covered by domain I-VI | 1 098.579 | 0.45 | |
TOTAL | 244 350.455 | 100% | |
Sources: data is compiled on the basis of the Annual Budget Reports of Ministry of Culture, 2018, Reports of Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation, annual report of the Ministry of Finance 2018 Appropriations Received by the State Budget Appropriations Managers, and statistics provided by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
The Lithuanian Council for Culture provides data on the allocations of the Culture Support Fund by field in 2018. The Council implements two types of financing measures: funding of projects according to cultural programmes or arts fields, and funding of individual grants for artists. Data about funding are collected by the Division of Monitoring and Analysis of the Council and compiled according to the year of funding, arts fields, types of organisations, their geographical location etc.
Table 41: Allocation of funding by Lithuania Council for Culture by sector, 2018, in 1000 EUR
Field/Domain/Sub-domain | TOTAL | of which: Transfers | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
In 1000 EUR | in % | to budgetary institutions | to NGOs, companies, individuals | ||
Projects by field | Individual grants by field | Projects and grants together by field | |||
I. Cultural Heritage | |||||
Historical Monuments | 253.660 | 88.800 | 1.95 | 59.200 | 283.26 |
Museums | 1 267.640 | 19.420 | 7.33 | 1 070.140 | 216.92 |
Archives | 95.200 | 0.54 | 70.200 | 25 | |
Libraries | 455.400 | 43.300 | 2.84 | 399.200 | 99.5 |
Intangible Heritage / Folk Culture | 776.550 | 47.200 | 4.69 | 418.450 | 405.3 |
II. Visual Arts | |||||
Fine Arts / Plastic Arts | 1 130.237 | 274.200 | 8.00 | 195.557 | 1 208.88 |
Photography | 555.063 | 70.050 | 3.56 | 94.742 | 530.371 |
Architecture | 538.715 | 22.800 | 3.20 | 12.000 | 549.515 |
Design / Applied Arts | 240.396 | 100.800 | 1.94 | 12.200 | 328.996 |
III. Performing Arts | |||||
Music | 2 527.450 | 197.100 | 15.52 | 427.400 | 2 297.15 |
Theatre. Music Theatre. Dance | 2 027.502 | 215.100 | 12.78 | 348.000 | 1 894.602 |
Multidisciplinary | 1 016.017 | 5.79 | 137.900 | 878.117 | |
IV. Books and Press | |||||
Books | 1 005.608 | 174.780 | 6.73 | 63.900 | 1 116.488 |
Press | - | - | - | - | - |
V. Audiovisual and Multimedia | |||||
Cinema | - | - | - | - | - |
Television | |||||
Sound recordings | - | - | - | - | - |
Radio | - | - | - | - | - |
Multimedia | - | - | - | - | - |
VI. Interdisciplinary | 764.805 | 247.200 | 5.77 | 94.100 | 917.905 |
Socio-culture | 957.357 | - | 5.46 | 381.427 | 575.93 |
Cultural Relations Abroad | 659.300 | - | 3.76 | 203.300 | 456 |
Administration | - | - | - | - | - |
Cultural Education | 679.500 | - | 3.87 | 211.800 | 467.7 |
VII. Not covered by domain I-VI | 1 098.579 | - | 6.26 | 82.00 | 1 015.679 |
TOTAL | 16 048 979 | 1 500.750 | 100% | 4 282.416 | 13 267.313 |
Source: Data for this table is provided by the Division of Monitoring and Analysis of the Lithuanian Council for Culture. With thanks to the team of the Division – Kristina Mažeikaitė, Martynas Tininis, and Martynas Darškus – who provided additional explanation about financing measures and data.
Last update: February, 2020
In Lithuania, several institutions provide financial support for artists and culture through funding programmes: the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute.
The Ministry of Culture allocates the biggest share of state financing for culture through direct institutional funding. It also implements a range of special programmes designated to support various fields of culture: the Programme of Libraries Development, Programme of Lithuanistics Traditions and Heritage, Funding Programme of Projects Implementing Initiatives to Preserve Historical Memory, Programme of Partial Compensation of the Cost of Dissemination (Venue Hire) of Professional Performing Arts Projects, Programme for the Partial Funding from the State Budget of Professional Performing Arts Institutions that Are not National, State or Municipal Theatre or Concert Institution (see chapter 3.3 for more about the last two programmes). The Ministry, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Film Centre and Lithuanian Culture Institute, also coordinates the participation of Lithuania in EU funding programmes Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens.
Other institutions – the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute – implement financing programmes and allocate funding through calls for tender. Their budget consists of appropriations allocated by the Ministry of Culture.
The Lithuanian Culture Institute implements the Translation Grant programme. The Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation implements 6 funding programmes: 1) periodicals of culture and art; 2) national periodical press; 3) regional periodical press; 4) national radio and television broadcasting, 5) regional radio and television broadcasting; 6) Internet media. The Lithuanian Film Centre allocates subsidies for the development, production and distribution of Lithuanian films and international co-productions.
The Lithuanian Council for Culture implements the greatest number of funding programmes and allocates the biggest share of programme financing. The Council implements two types of financing measures: funding of projects by cultural programmes or arts fields, and funding of individual grants for artists. Financing of arts fields includes projects of architecture, design, visual arts, photography, interdisciplinary arts, theatre, music, dance, circus, and literature. Projects funded by the arts fields programme have to be targeted at the following activities: 1) professional creation and its dissemination in Lithuania and abroad; 2) events; 3) accumulation of information (archiving, documentation) and its dissemination; 4) publishing; 5) professional criticism and analysis; 6) networking and mobility; 7) co-production. Cultural programmes financed by the Council in 2019 were the following: Periodical Events of Amateur Arts, Cultural Education, Artists’ residences in Lithuania, Strategic Funding for Artistic Organisations, Memory Institutions, Civic Education, Cultural Heritage, Ethnic Culture, Strategic Funding of International Events, Cultural and Creative Industries, Protection of Copyright and Related Rights, and Creative Initiatives of Communities.
Table 42: Amount of programme funding allocated by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute in 2018
Institution | Allocated amount, in EUR |
Lithuanian Council for Culture | 17 896 581 |
Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation | 2 741 000 |
Film Centre | 6 423 000 |
Lithuanian Culture Institute | 1 444 448 |
Sources: data is compiled on the basis of the Annual Budget Reports of Ministry of Culture, 2018, Reports of Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation, statistics of Lithuanian Film Centre and statistics provided by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
Besides Lithuanian funding programmes, the artists can also apply for funding to international programmes, e.g. Nordic-Baltic mobility programme for culture: support to artists’ residencies. The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture aims to strengthen artistic and cultural cooperation in the Nordic region and Baltic States. The programme focuses on increasing the exchange of knowledge, contacts, presence and interest in Nordic and Baltic art and culture. The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme comprises three forms of funding: mobility, network and funding for artist residencies.
Last update: February, 2020
There are not many special funds in Lithuania dedicated to supporting artists of various fields. The oldest one is the Lithuanian Musicians Support Fund, established in 1992. The Fund is a public charity organisation and publishing house, which supports the development of Lithuanian musicians' creative activities, commemoration of musicians, promotion of music, patronizes talented musicians and music veterans. The Fund implements 12 programmes, such as various concourses, festivals and education programmes.
The Lithuanian Writers Union Foundation aims to give beneficence to the members of LWU and support programmes that correspond to aims of the Foundation or its subdivisions. In accordance to the Law on Charity and Sponsorship Funds of the Republic of Lithuania, the Literary Foundation supports publishing of fiction literature, especially the original type, management and publishing of the literary heritage of the members of LWU; literary events: conferences, literary evenings, commemoration of anniversaries, literary competitions, etc.; activities of the subdivisions of LWU, such as periodicals, publishing and bookshops; care of the memorials of the writers, other remembrance programmes; social and cultural programmes announced by Government.
The organisations of collective administration of copyright and related rights make payments for their members. National and international copyright is collectively administered by the Association LATGA established in 1991 and the Music Copyright Association NATA established in 2012. The collective administration of the performers and phonogram producers’ rights are performed by the Lithuanian Related Rights Association AGATA that was established in 1999. At the initiative of the performers and phonogram producers, the related rights association GRETA was established in 2013. The Association of Audiovisual Works Copyright AVAKA, established in 2008, administers the rights of the owners of audiovisual works. These organisations distribute royalties and make payments for represented right holders.
AVAKA has a Sociocultural Fund that is used to strengthen the audiovisual sector and encourage creativity through support of events, concourses, festivals, workshops, conferences and other activities, which enhance the professional competences of TV and film producers. The fund also can be used for special payments to AVAKA members in case of accidents, illness or death.
Last update: February, 2020
The main institution allocating grants for Lithuanian artists is the Lithuanian Council for Culture. The Council awards two kinds of grants: individual and educational grants. Individual grants are awarded to support individual artistic activities of culture or art creators, they amount to 600 EUR per month and may be awarded for a maximum of 2 years. Education grants are awarded for improving the professional skills of culture or art creators, in particular, for participating in traineeship programmes, courses, conferences, symposiums and other activities for building up professional skills. Education grants may also be used for covering the costs of creative residency or master classes. The grant amount to 3 600 EUR and may be awarded for a maximum of 6 months.
Table 43: Individual grants for artists by field of arts, distributed by the Lithuanian Council of Culture in 2014–2019
Forms of art | Number of grants distributed | Amount allocated in EUR |
Visual arts | 497 | 1 424 376 |
Music | 455 | 994 810 |
Interdisciplinary arts | 298 | 903 949 |
Theatre | 322 | 651 427 |
Literature | 208 | 794 380 |
Dance | 162 | 311 645 |
Design | 130 | 359 803 |
Libraries | 156 | 213 205 |
Photography | 102 | 368 835 |
Film | 105 | 252 944 |
Cultural heritage | 146 | 311 605 |
Traditional arts | 99 | 232 794 |
Museums | 110 | 141 170 |
Architecture | 53 | 117 792 |
Circus | 33 | 67 247 |
Source: Lithuanian Council for Culture
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania gives annual awards and prizes for outstanding achievements in arts and culture. The most important award is the Lithuanian National Award for Culture and Arts. The award was established in 1989. It is granted for outstanding achievements in culture and arts and has been awarded annually in six categories since 2006 (between 1989 and 2006 there were nine categories). The prize is formally bestowed on February 16, when the decorations and diplomas are presented to the laureates at Presidential Palace, commemorating the anniversary of the 1918 Act of Independence of Lithuania.
The Lithuanian Government’s Awards for Culture and Arts were established in 2006 and aim to promote art creators, performers, musicians, film makers etc. for their merits to Lithuanian art. Up to 12 awards are granted by the Lithuanian Government annually to Lithuanian cultural and artistic creators and actors.
The most significant works of professional theatre creators and outstanding professional achievements in the fields of drama, opera, operetta and musical, ballet, dance, puppet and object theatre as well as children’s and youth theatre are awarded with prizes conferred by the Ministry of Culture – the Golden Stage Cross and the Borisas Dauguvietis Earring. The award ceremony is held on World Theatre Day – 27 March.
In order to encourage and appreciate the creators, translators and critics of literature, the Ministry of Culture has been annually awarding premiums for the best works: the Armchair of the Translator of the Year (in cooperation with the Lithuanian PEN Centre), St. Jerome’s Prize (in cooperation with the Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators), as well as the Yotvingian Prize and the Young Yotvingian Prize (in cooperation with the Association “Druskininkai Poetic Fall”).
The Ministry of Culture organises the Dalia Tamulevičiūtė Competition for Lithuanian Authors of Performing Works of Art – a winner is selected from the sketches/extracts of performing works of art submitted to the Ministry of Culture from professional performing arts theatres according to the established procedure, to whom funding is allocated for the production of a play or one-person play.
Balys Buračas photography award is annually granted to Lithuanian photographers for the most significant work or series of works that analyse, document or interpret Lithuanian culture.
Bronius Savukynas award was established in 2010 by the Ministry of Culture. The award is granted annually to authors of publications and chief editors of cultural publications for the purity and correctness of the Lithuanian language, and the dissemination of humanistic values, analytical thought and intellectual culture in periodical cultural publications.
Young Artist Prize is awarded annually by the Ministry of Culture. Nominees for the prize may be either young artists (14 to 35 years old) or teams of young artists.
Martynas Mažvydas Premium for merits to the Lithuanian language, history of writing and book art is awarded for the best research achievements in Lithuanian literature, language history, culture, and book science.
Last update: February, 2020
There are in Lithuania 19 artists’ associations that have a special status of “artists’ organisation” granted them according to the Law on the Status of Artists and Artists Organisations (1996): Architects’ Association of Lithuania, Lithuanian Union of Journalists, Lithuanian Theatre Union, Professional Folk Artists’ Association, Lithuanian Writers’ Union, Lithuanian Musicians’ Union, The Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators, Lithuanian Composers’ Union, Lithuanian Filmmakers’ Union, Union of Lithuanian Art Photographers, Lithuanian Designers’ Society, Lithuanian Painters’ Association, Lithuanian Association of Landscape Architects, Contemporary Dance Association, Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association, Association of Performing Arts Critics, Lithuanian Association of Chores, Association of Vilnius Region Folk Artists, Lithuanian Association of Artists. The latter organisation is an umbrella association of twelve artists unions. It was established in 1995. Its aim is to coordinate cooperation between artists and artists’ organisations in Lithuania, represent interests of Lithuanian professional artists and writers abroad and organize public debates between artists and politicians on the development of culture and arts. The association organises conferences on culture and art, submits proposals on draft laws and regulations, participates in programmes for artists, reviews professional art programmes, and defends copyright.
Artists unions and associations that have the status of “artists’ organisations” granted them according to the Law on the Status of Artists and Artists Organisations can apply for funding to the special programme “Implementation of Strategic Programmes of Artists Organisations”, created by the Lithuanian Council for Culture in order to support these kind of organisations. Its budget for 2018–2021 is 721 000 EUR.
Last update: February, 2020
Private funding for culture is regulated in by the Law on Charity and Sponsorship (1993), the Law on Patronage (2018),the Law on Personal Income Tax (2002) and the Law on Corporate Income Tax (2001).
According to Article 9 of the Law on Charity and Sponsorship, natural persons can transfer an amount not exceeding 2% of the income tax payable on the basis of an annual income tax return to Lithuanian entities that are entitled to sponsorship, i.e. charity and sponsorship funds; budget financed institutions; associations; public organisations; public agencies; religious communities, associations and religious centres; divisions (chapters) of international public organisations; other legal persons whose activities are regulated by special laws and which participate in not-for-profit activity; artists registered as beneficiaries in the Information System of Artist's and Artist's Organisations maintained by the Ministry of Culture.
Data about the sponsorship provided and received by legal persons are collected by the Lithuanian Department of Statistics. According to this data, legal persons working in the field of culture received more than 13 million EUR sponsorship in 2018. Compared to other areas, culture receives nearly as much sponsorship as education, but almost three times less than sport. The total amount provided by sponsors for culture did not change significantly over the last five years.
Table 44: Sponsorship received by legal persons in various fields in 2014–2018 (in EUR)
Field | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Culture | 12 763 000 | 11 326 700 | 11 406 900 | 11 721 500 | 13 273 200 |
Education | 10 702 900 | 13 077 000 | 17 930 200 | 12 763 800 | 12 881 700 |
Sport | 38 996 000 | 40 482 700 | 42 319 200 | 37 495 500 | 40 821 000 |
Religion | 10 776 600 | 7 311 500 | 7 851 400 | 8 446 400 | 9 594 600 |
Source: Lithuanian Department of Statistics
The Lithuanian Department of Statistics also provides some data about sponsors. According to the data, Lithuanian wholesale and retail trade and manufacturing enterprises provided the biggest share of sponsorship. Among foreign sponsors, companies of the USA, Germany and Switzerland were the most generous.
Table 45: Sponsorship for culture provided anonymously and by Lithuanian and foreign legal persons in 2014–2018 (in EUR)
Sponsors | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Lithuanian legal persons | 8 764 000 | 8 630 000 | 8 334 500 | 8 382 400 | 8 760 000 |
Foreign legal persons | 2 702 800 | 1 481 300 | 1 406 500 | 1 351 000 | 1 628 700 |
Anonymous | 1 296 200 | 1 215 400 | 1 665 900 | 1 988 100 | 2 884 500 |
Source: Lithuanian Department of Statistics
According to the Article 34 of the Law on Personal Income Tax, after the end of the tax period, the tax administrator must, at the request of a resident of Lithuania and in accordance with the procedure established by the Government, transfer to Lithuanian entities that are entitled to sponsorship under the Law on Charity and Sponsorship an amount not exceeding 2% (since 2020 – 1.2 per cent) of the income tax payable on the basis of an annual income tax return. According to the data of Lithuanian State Tax Inspectorate, in 2019, at the requests of the residents of Lithuania, the inspectorate transferred a total of 21 096 378 EUR to 23 492 organisations entitled to receive sponsorship. However, the data of how much of this amount of sponsorship went to artists and cultural organisations is lacking.
The Law on Corporate Income Tax of the Republic of Lithuania provides a regulation for sponsorship. Article 28 states that taxpayers who are entitled to provide sponsorship under the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Charity and Sponsorship shall be allowed to deduct from their income two times the payments made, including assets transferred and services rendered, which are intended for sponsorship (see chapter 4.1.4 for more about the legal regulation of sponsorship).
The amendment of the Law on Corporate Income Tax in 2013 stimulated the private funding of Lithuanian cinema. Article 172 of the Law states, that in calculating corporate income tax, funds granted free of charge to a Lithuanian filmmaker for the production of a film or a part thereof in the Republic of Lithuania may be deducted from the taxable income. Due to the incentive, in the period between 2014 and the end of 2017, investors in Lithuania provided funds for the production of 68 films, including 22 national films, 23 co-production films and 23 foreign production films. In total, over 8.5 million EUR was invested in film production in Lithuania during this period, 1 million EUR (11.2%) for national films, almost 2.8 million EUR (32.8%) for co-productions, and almost 4.8 million EUR (56%) for foreign films. During the period of four years when the tax incentive was in force, the total expenditure of film production using the tax incentive scheme exceeded 43 million EUR, of which 24.4 million EUR was an investment by foreign film producers.
The Law on Patronage, adopted by the Seimas in 2018, has not yet made any significant impact on private funding for culture. The Law provides that the title of a national patron is awarded to a person who has provided at least one million EUR in support to the patronage project(s) at the state or more than one municipality level. A title of patron of a municipality is awarded to the person who has provided at least 150 000 EUR in support of the patronage project(s) in the municipality with a permanent population of 25 000 or less, and in case of the municipalities with more than 25 000 permanent residents, the title of a municipal patron is awarded to a person who has provided at least 250 000 EUR support for the implementation of the sponsored project(s) at municipal level. The Government assesses the compliance of the projects with the requirements of this Law, recognises the projects as appropriate to patronage, grants the title of the national patron and adopts decisions on the loss of the title of the national patron on the proposal of the Patronage Council. In 2018, the Patronage Council awarded the first title of national patron for the one million EUR support for the Balbieriškis Church restoration project.