Lithuania
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Lithuania (LT)
ECRML
Signed
(UNSIGNED)
Ratified
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In Force
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FCNM
Signed
1995
Ratified
2000
In Force
2000
Country Description
Lithuania regularly conducts national language censuses, with the last one taking place in 2021. According to the Official Statistics Portal of Lithuania, 2 398 352 people speak Lithuanian as their mother tongue, while 295 244 people speak it not as a mother tongue, coming up to 2 693 596 speakers (96% of the population) total.
There is no official national data on the number of Sign Language users in Lithuania; the Lithuanian Sign Language (LSL) dictionary estimates that there are approximately 6 000 LSL users, including those who are hearing-impaired and hearing.
Among the local languages spoken by smaller minorities (see link below) not established by the chosen sources so far are Armenian, Greek, Latvian, Tatar and Yiddish.
Pan-National Official Language(s)
This category only includes languages that are official throughout the whole country (with the exception of Belgium) - languages that are e.g. regionally 'co-official' are not listed here but can be identified in the categories below wherever a relevant legal document is listed. A future update could include lists of co-official languages, as well.
To increase their visibility, recognised Sign Languages are always listed as official languages even if they are not yet technically official. The data on legal recognition was aggregated from legal documents and official sources. Wherever possible, the national number was taken from a national census or recent study/official estimate – sources are listed. The endangerment level is adopted from Ethnologue and further estimates of endangerment can be found on the individual language profile (e.g. by clicking on 'Italian').
| Language | Endonym | Geographic Area | Source | Legal Recognition | Legal Document | Source | National Number | Bases for Calculation | Estimation Date | Source | Endangerment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lithuanian
Baltic
|
Lietuvių kalba | Whole country | 1995 | Law on the State Language of the Republic of Lithuania (Official Gazette, 1995, No. 15-344) / Lietuvos Respublikos valstybinės kalbos įstatymas | 2 693 596 | Language known | 2022 | / / | 1 (National) | ||
|
Lithuanian Sign Language (LGK)
Sign Language
|
Lietuvių gestų kalba | Whole country | 1995 | On the recognition of Deaf Sign Language as a mother tongue / Dėl kurčiųjų gestų kalbos pripažinimo gimtąja kalba | Approx. 6 000 (not a census) | Language used | 2025 | 5 (Developing) |
ECRML-Recognised Languages
This includes languages recognised under the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages (ECRML). The data on legal recognition was aggregated from legal documents and official sources. Wherever possible, the national number was taken from a national census or recent study/official estimate – sources are listed. The endangerment level is adopted from Ethnologue and further estimates of endangerment can be found on the individual language profile (e.g. by clicking on 'Czech').
| Language | Endonym | Geographic Area | Source | Legal Recognition | Legal Document | Source | National Number | Bases for Calculation | Estimation Date | Source | Endangerment Level | ECRML level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| / | ||||||||||||
Non-ECRML Languages – Source Overview
Languages marked with ✓ appear in that source.
Languages listed in multiple sources may have differing data – see the detail tables below.
| Language | Ethnologue | ELP |
|---|---|---|
| Balkan Romani | ✓ | |
| Baltic Romani | ✓ | ✓ |
| Belarusian | ✓ | |
| Carpathian Romani | ✓ | |
| Crimean Tatar | ✓ | |
| Eastern Yiddish | ✓ | |
| English | ✓ | |
| French | ✓ | |
| German | ✓ | |
| Karaim | ✓ | ✓ |
| Polish | ✓ | |
| Russian | ✓ | |
| Samogitian | ✓ | |
| Sinte Romani | ✓ | |
| Sudovian | ✓ | |
| Ukrainian | ✓ | |
| Vlax Romani | ✓ | |
| Zemgalian | ✓ |
Non-ECRML Languages (Ethnologue)
Languages listed with an 'established status' in Ethnologue. The data on legal recognition, national number, and endangerment level was taken from Ethnologue, reflecting its current state and gaps of knowledge.
| Language | Endonym | Geographic Area | Source | Legal Recognition | Legal Document | Source | National Number | Bases for Calculation | Estimation Date | Source | Endangerment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Baltic Romani
Indo-Aryan
|
Romani | Siauliu, Utenos, and Vilniaus counties | / | / | / | 2 250 | Users | 2019 | 5* (Developing) | ||
|
Belarusian
Slavic
|
Biełaruskaja mova | Vilniaus county: primarily Vilnius city; possibly scattered in Alytaus, Panevezio, and Utenos counties | / | / | / | 6 710 | Users | 2019 | 5* (Developing | ||
|
Eastern Yiddish
Germanic
|
Yidish | Kauno, Klaipedos, Siauliu, and Vilniaus counties | / | / | / | A few hundred speakers | Users | 2019 | 8a (Moribund) | ||
|
English
Germanic
|
English | / | / | / | / | 1 000 290 | Users | 2014 | 4 (Educational) | ||
|
French
Romance
|
Français | / | / | / | / | 62 500 | Users | 2022 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
German
Germanic
|
Deutsch | / | / | / | / | 376 290 | Users | 2019 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
Karaim
Turkic
|
Karaj tili | Vilniaus county: Trakai district municipality; scattered in a few other places | / | / | / | 75 | Users | 2019 | 8a (Moribund) | ||
|
Polish
Slavic
|
Polski | Alytaus, Kauno, Marijampoles, and Vilniaus counties | / | / | / | 598 000 | Users | 2019 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
Russian
Slavic
|
Russkiy | Kauno county: Jonava municipality; Klaipedos county: Klaipeda municipality; Utenos county: Ingalina, Visaginas, and Zarasai municipalities; Vilniaus county: Elektrenai, Švenčionys, Trakai, Vilnius, and Vilnius municipalities, Naujamiestis and Senamiestis neighborhoods | / | / | / | 2 511 000 | Users | 2019 | 3 (Wider communication) | ||
|
Samogitian
Baltic
|
Žemaitiu kalba | Taurages, Telsiu and Klaipedos counties | / | / | / | 500 000 | Users | 2009 | 5* (Developing) | ||
|
Sudovian
Baltic
|
Yotvingian | Alytaus county | / | / | / | No known L1 speakers | / | / | 10 (Extinct) | ||
|
Ukrainian
Slavic
|
Ukrainska mova | Klaipedos county: Klaipeda city municipality; Utenos county: Visaginas municipality; Vilniaus county: Elektrenai, Šalčininkai, Švenčionys, and Vilnius city municipalities | / | / | / | 76 200 | Users | 2023 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
Zemgalian
Baltic
|
Zemgalian | Panevezio and Siauliu counties | / | / | / | No known L1 speakers | / | / | 10 (Extinct) |
Non-ECRML Languages (Endangered Languages Project)
Languages listed in the Endangered Languages Project (ELP). The data on legal recognition, national number, and endangerment level was taken from ELP, reflecting its current state and gaps of knowledge.
| Language | Endonym | Geographic Area | Source | Legal Recognition | Legal Document | Source | National Number | Bases for Calculation | Estimation Date | Source | Endangerment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Balkan Romani
Indo-Aryan
|
Balkaniko Romanes | / | / | / | / | 709 570 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | At risk | ||
|
Baltic Romani
Indo-Aryan
|
Roma | / | / | / | / | 58 460 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | Vulnerable | ||
|
Carpathian Romani
Indo-Aryan
|
Central Romani | / | / | / | / | 472 470 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | At risk | ||
|
Crimean Tatar
Turkic
|
Qırımtatar tili | / | / | / | / | < 100 000 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | Vulnerable | ||
|
Karaim
Turkic
|
Karaj tili | / | / | / | / | 1 130 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | Critically endangered | ||
|
Sinte Romani
Indo-Aryan
|
Romanes | / | / | / | / | 318 920 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | At risk | ||
|
Vlax Romani
Indo-Aryan
|
Romani shib | / | / | / | / | 885 970 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | At risk |
Recognised Minorities
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