Overview of Human Rights in Lithuania

The Republic of Lithuania is a parliamentary democracy.  Recent elections were considered free and fair by international monitors. The government works to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens; however, some problem areas remain. The police force has been known to abuse detainees and detention laws. At the behest of the government, they have also been known to infringe upon the privacy rights of some citizens. Anti-Semitic incidences and child abuse are rising annually. Human trafficking, especially for the sex trade, is also a growing problem.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

41st out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.