Lithuania's investment profile

Major business partners:

• Neighbouring countries: Russia (5.3% of FDI, 16.1% of exports and 30.1% of imports), Poland (5.9% of total FDI in 2008,  5.8% of exports and 10% of imports), Estonia (7.6% of FDI, 5.7% of exports), Latvia (6.2% of total FDI , 11.6% of exports and 5.2% of imports)
• Scandinavian countries: Sweden (16.8% of FDI), Denmark (8.7% of FDI), Finland (5.6% of FDI)
• EU-27 countries represent about 60.3% of Lithuanian foreign trade flows and more than 81.2% of FDI in Lithuania

Investment and bilateral trade drivers:

• Crossroads of Central and Western Europe, Scandinavian and Baltic as well as CIS markets
• Political stability and economic freedom
• Well-developed EU prime transport centre (two international corridors, ice-free seaport, international airports and railways)
• Diverse energy capacities
• Strong knowledge economy platform, innovative businesses
• One of the EU’s most educated and multilingual people
• Competitive business set-up and operation costs
• EU Structural Funds’ and State’s support
• Largest and most diversified industry in North-eastern Europe

Attractive business sectors:

• Shared services and business process outsourcing (BPO) – well-educated multilingual labour pool
• ICT – modern knowledge economy; companies leading among the Baltic States
• Lasers – globally acknowledged production and inventions
• Biotech – production does not have equivalents in Central and Eastern Europe
• Plastics – with three huge plants leading in the region
• Metal processing, machinery and electric equipment – widely-acknowledged high-tech products
• Furniture & wood processing – among the most important suppliers for IKEA
• Textile & clothing – one of the most specialised EU countries in the textile and clothing sector
• Food – internationally acknowledged and in-demand production
• Real estate – the largest market among the Baltic States with great development potential
• Tourism – untouched ecological countryside, well developed rural tourism network, high demand for entertainment services; forthcoming Lithuanian events of international importance

 Taxes:

• Corporate profit tax – 20%
• Personal income tax – 15% (+ 6% health insurance contribution)
• Value added tax – 21%
• Property tax – 1%
• Social security tax for employer - 31% (+ employee's contribution of 3%)

Human resources:

• ~ 40% of the labour force with higher education
• Every third Lithuanian speaks English, and eight Lithuanians out of 10 speak Russian
• Average monthly gross salary – EUR 672

Property rental rates, EUR / m2 per month:

• New warehouses – EUR 4 to 6
•  A-class office space – EUR 10 to 17
• B-class office space – EUR 6 to13
• High-street retail space – EUR 20 to 55
• Retail space in shopping centres – EUR 10 to 30
  

Business set up costs and time:

• up to EUR 600
• up to 26 days 

Major trade partners: