Data published by the Hygiene Institute shows that Neringa stands out, where the average life expectancy in 2025 reached as much as 83.8 years.
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This is almost six years more than the Lithuanian average, which last year was 77.9 years.
Neringa confidently leads among all Lithuanian municipalities according to this indicator. In second place is Palanga – 80.7 years, followed by Panevėžys, where the average life expectancy was 80.2 years, Vilnius – 80.1, Šiauliai – 80.1, Kaunas – 79.3 years.
The life expectancy of Klaipėda residents last year was 79.2 years, and Klaipėda district – 78.8 years.
Meanwhile, in some municipalities of the country, this indicator is much lower. The shortest life expectancy in 2025 was recorded in Molėtai district municipality – 71.4 years. Slightly more than 73 years was the indicator in Ignalina, Švenčionys, Lazdijai, and Kalvarija municipalities.
Average life expectancy is a probabilistic indicator showing how many years on average a person born or having reached a certain age will live if the mortality rate in each age group of the population remains unchanged throughout the future life of the studied generation.
Life in Neringa is like a wellness program
Neringa’s mayor Darius Jasaitis is not overly surprised by the longevity of the resort’s residents. According to him, the resort has many things that can contribute to better well-being and longer life.
“We don’t have traffic jams. We have quick access to a family doctor, probably the fastest in Lithuania. We have wonderful nature,” said D. Jasaitis.
According to him, Neringa residents also have better opportunities to move, walk, and exercise. And physical activity, the mayor believes, can also be one of the reasons for longer life.
“We can walk a lot in nature, which is important. Exercise in the fresh air,” he listed.
According to the mayor, Neringa has the highest concentration of tennis courts in Lithuania per capita.
“It is scientifically proven that any racket sport extends life the most,” said the mayor.
However, in Neringa, according to him, even the simplest daily habits can become physical activity.
D. Jasaitis himself says that whenever possible, he rides a bike, often commuting between Nida and Preila. Moreover, in daily activities, he tries to think about a healthy lifestyle.
“I park the car in the farthest corner of the parking lot from the store so that I have to walk as far as possible,” said D. Jasaitis.
And another important condition for longer life is food. The mayor of Neringa is convinced that living by the sea provides the opportunity to choose fish and other coastal products more often.
“It’s no secret that the incomes of Neringa residents are higher. We can allocate more funds for quality nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. No one doubts that fish is healthy,” he said.
However, the mayor’s work itself and the daily stress experienced are not favorable factors for longevity.
“It’s good that there is only one mayor and he can’t strongly distort the overall statistics,” joked the head of Neringa.
Life expectancy is increasing in Klaipėda
By the way, the situation of Klaipėda residents is also better than the national average, although life expectancy here is slightly shorter than in the other four major cities and seaside resorts of the country.
However, statistics show that the situation in the port city is rapidly improving. Over the past five years, the average life expectancy of Klaipėda residents has steadily increased.
In 2021, it was 74.9 years in Klaipėda city, and last year it was already 79.2 years. Over five years, the indicator increased by as much as 4.3 years. During the same period, the average life expectancy in Lithuania increased from 74.2 to 77.9 years, or 3.7 years.
So the situation in Klaipėda not only improved but also remained better than the national average for all five years. The biggest difference was recorded last year – the life expectancy of Klaipėda residents was 1.3 years longer than the average in Lithuania.
According to Vitalija Mikutytė, a specialist at the Klaipėda City Public Health Bureau, this trend can be viewed positively, but the number of years of life expectancy alone is not enough to assess the health of the population.
Life expectancy is influenced by many factors. One of the most important is cardiovascular diseases. High blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, insufficient physical activity, overweight, unbalanced diet, and diabetes have a significant impact on their risk.
Equally important are avoidable risk factors – alcohol and tobacco use. They increase the risk not only of cardiovascular but also oncological and respiratory diseases.
Klaipėda also has certain advantages. The city is located by the sea, has beaches, parks, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, thus providing residents with opportunities to be more physically active. However, the mere possibility to exercise or walk does not mean that people use these opportunities enough.
The environment is also important for health. Klaipėda is not only a port city but also an industrial city, so air pollution, vehicle emissions, industrial activity, noise, odors, and other environmental factors affect residents’ health.
On the other hand, Klaipėda is the healthcare center of the Western Lithuania region. The city concentrates many higher-level medical services, so residents have access to various diagnostics, treatment, and specialized services. Preventive activities carried out by the Klaipėda City Public Health Bureau also contribute to health improvement.
“The situation in Klaipėda city in terms of life expectancy is favorable and even better than the Lithuanian average. From 2021 to 2025, a clear trend of increasing life expectancy is observed, and Klaipėda city’s indicator was higher than the country’s in all examined years,” says V. Mikutytė.
Although the situation in the port city is improving, the example of neighboring Neringa shows that there is still potential. The difference between Klaipėda and Neringa is more than four years of life.
So perhaps part of the Neringa mayor’s recipe is worth applying in Klaipėda as well: more movement, more time in nature, healthier nutrition, and less daily stress.
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