Owning a rich history in both arts and sciences, Vilnius is Lithuania’s major economic engine, ranks among the biggest Baltic financial centers, and represents its nation’s wealthiest region.
Nicknames for Vilnius include Jerusalem of Lithuania, Athens of the North, Rome of the North and New Babylon.
Research website numbeo ranks Vilnius in the top 31% compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Vilnius scored well on index factors such as pollution (lowest 12%), traffic commute time (fastest 15%), safety (top 18%) and health care (upper 40%).
The trolleybus network in Vilnius is among Europe’s most extensive, with about 260 trolleybuses transporting hundreds of thousands of passengers each workday.
Vilnius has many prominent art galleries. For instance, its Lithuanian Art Museum showcases Lithuania’s largest art collection. The Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius offers an exhibition space of some 25,833 square feet (2,400 square meters), making it the biggest venue for contemporary art among Baltic States.
Vilnius was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the site where the largest coin pyramid ever was created. The pyramid was built from over a million Litas coins at the Money Museum of the Bank of Lithuania in Vilnius. That feat commemorated old one-cent coins in circulation before Lithuania adopted the Euro as its official currency.
From an international trade perspective, Lithuania exported an estimated US$33.1 billion worth of products around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include refined petroleum oils (11.4% of Lithuania’s global total), furniture (4.5%), fertilizers (2.8%), cigarettes (2.2%), wheat (2.1%), polyacetals and epoxide resins (2%), cars (also 2%), and drugs and medicines (1.9%) according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Vilnius, Lithuania: Quick Reference
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Vilnius, Lithuania.
- Lina Kačiušytė, gold medal swimming champion (born Jan. 1, 1963)
- Laura Asadauskaitė, gold medal pentathalon winner (born Feb. 28, 1984)
- Martynas Pocius, national basketball team player (born Apr. 28, 1986)
- Ana Ambrazienė, hurdler & world recordholder (born Apr. 14, 1955)
- Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė, actress (born Jan. 20, 1963)
- Martynas Gecevičius, professional basketball player (born May 16, 1988)
- Šarūnas Sauka, painter (born Sep. 11, 1958)
- Deividas Šemberas, soccer player/footballer (born Aug. 2, 1978)
- Andrius Mamontovas, songwriter & producer (born May 13, 1962)
- Edgaras Jankauskas, soccer player/footballer & coach (born Mar. 12, 1975)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a resident of Vilnius: Vilnian
Population: 580,020 (Vilnius) in 2020
Density: 3,742 people per square mile (1,446 per square kilometer)
Population: 2,718,387 (Lithuania) at August 7, 2020
Density: 112 people per square mile (43 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Lithuania: 45.1 years old
Financial
GDP: US$102.2 billion in 2019 (Lithuania)
GDP per person: $36,701
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Vilnius were unavailable.
Official currency used in Vilnius: euro
Geography
Capital landmarks: St. Anne’s Church, Cathedral (Arkikatedra Bazilika), Holy Spirit Orthodox Church, Lithuanian Art Museum, Europa Tower, Vilnius University and the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Europe: Lithuania.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
Guinness World Records, Largest coin pyramid.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, Vilnius.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Baltic States.
Wikipedia, Lithuania.
Wikipedia, Vilnius.
WorldOMeter, Lithuania Population.
World Population Review, Vilnius Population 2020.
Lithuania established its independence from Soviet Russia and Germany on February 16, 1918. Lithuanians celebrate Independence Day as a national holiday each February 16.
Vilnius city limits contain a land area measuring 155 square miles (401 square kilometers) home to an estimated 580,020 inhabitants in 2020.
Within national borders, Lithuania’s land area covers 24,199 square miles (62,674 square kilometers). The country’s population count was 2.7 million people as of August 2020.
Population density is more concentrated within Lithuania’s capital city Vilnius, averaging 3,742 Vilnians per square mile (1,446 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to national land boundaries, Lithuania’s population density dilutes to an average 112 people per square mile (43 per square kilometer).
