Inga Masiulaityte-Sukevic, deputy director-general at Statistics Lithuania, noted that the country's demographic indicators have been more affected by the coronavirus pandemic than the socio-economic ones.
"We started the year with a decrease in the population," Masiulaityte-Sukevic told a news conference. "The population declined by 12,000 during the first half. This means we have lost a small town the size of Druskininkai."
"A total of around 24,000 people died in half a year. The population decreased by 12, 000 due to natural change," the official said.
"The population decrease was mostly due to a negative natural population change, not to emigration," she added.
The number of births dropped to 11,000 in the first half of this year, down by 16 percent compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. The number of deaths, meanwhile jumped by more than 17 percent.
"Birth rates fell sharply; mortality rates rose. The insecurity and uncertainty of the situation greatly affected people's plans to start families and have children," Masiulaityte-Sukevic said.
"The increased mortality will have an impact on the life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, too," she added.