Events, data and analysis from the Baltic economies
Country coverage
Events, figures and analysis from Baltic.
All three Baltic countries recorded faster export growth in September 2026 than in August, but the composition differed: petroleum products dominated Lithuania's increase, Latvia recorded gains across several commodity groups, and Estonia saw a sharp rise in exports…
Read →Estonian bank Bigbank has launched a public offering of subordinated bonds to retail and professional investors in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The bank aims to raise up to €15 million,…
Transport prices rose across all three Baltic states in October, while falling food prices helped contain inflation in Lithuania and Latvia.
Internet access is approaching saturation in Latvia, but the way people use it continues to evolve. In 2026, 94.3% of residents aged 16–74 used the internet at least once a…
Estonia stands well ahead of Latvia and Lithuania in paid online news subscriptions, according to Eurostat data for 2025. Some 13.9% of Estonian internet users had paid subscriptions to online…
Estonia’s National Audit Office has warned that direct payments by patients remain above the European Union average, despite growing healthcare expenditure. Annual healthcare spending in Estonia now exceeds €3.3 billion,…
Manufacturing output grew year on year in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in every month of the third quarter of 2026. Yet the nine monthly readings reveal different trajectories rather than…
Statistics Estonia’s regional comparison, drawing on Statistics Estonia and Eurostat data, puts rail passenger traffic across the Baltic states at 34.5 million in 2025. Latvia accounted for 21.4 million passengers,…
Latvia-based Citadele reported a 12% year-on-year increase in its loan portfolio to €4.12 billion at the end of September 2026, while its nine-month profit remained broadly unchanged. Net profit from…
Source: CitadeleThe European Union began applying a €2 customs handling fee on 1 November 2026 to goods purchased from online shops and marketplaces outside the EU and shipped to consumers in…
Estonian transmission system operator Elering will reduce the Kiisa power plant’s participation in the Baltic frequency reserve market by another 100 MW from May 1, 2027, while preparing to lease…
Latvia’s state-owned energy group Latvenergo has adopted Elektrum as its common brand for electricity generation and energy sales across Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia from 29 October. The move is intended…
Latvian airline airBaltic has confirmed plans to cut approximately 100 pilot and 200 cabin crew positions as it prepares for a smaller flight programme in 2027. The reductions will affect…
Swedbank is reducing its workforce by around 500 employees across the group, including approximately 100 in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The figures were disclosed by Olavi Lepp, head of Swedbank…
Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid has launched a tender for territorial planning and environmental impact assessment services for the proposed Varduva–Brocēni power line, which would become the fifth electricity…
Swedish banking group SEB has agreed to pay $33 million to New York’s financial regulator, bringing to a close a long-running US investigation into weaknesses in its anti-money laundering controls,…
Passenger trends diverge across the Baltics as airlines reshape winter routes, including a marked reduction in direct services between Lithuania and Germany.
PhotoArtificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life in Latvia, while Baltic businesses move from adoption to assessing its economic benefits.
PhotoIn the Baltic states, preparations for winter have traditionally been judged by one figure: the amount of natural gas stored at Inčukalns in Latvia. On 8 November 2026, the underground facility held 12.86 TWh, equivalent to 52.7% of…
PhotoAn established refinery faces a costly decision as new industrial capital enters Estonia. ORLEN is weighing the cost of completing the Mažeikiai refinery modernisation, while Turkish defence manufacturer ARCA Defense has secured an operating permit for its planned…
The Baltic states continue to attract international technology companies and business service centres. Yet some of the employers that helped establish the region’s reputation are now cutting staff. The reductions have continued for at least two years, often…
PhotoRussian and Belarusian grain transit through Latvia reached 888,000 tonnes by 6 October 2026, up 36.3% from the 652,000 tonnes recorded for the whole of 2025, according to customs figures reported by Latvian Television. September accounted for nearly…
PhotoThe main signal is divergence rather than a uniform regional trend. Pipedrive, Coolbet, Swedbank and airBaltic are preparing workforce reductions, while Baltic companies continue to acquire businesses, invest in manufacturing and expand into export markets. September retail sales…
PhotoThe European Commission has flagged conflicting climate targets in Lithuania, an €8.23 billion gap between Estonia’s renovation cost estimates and Latvia’s plan to defer more than 80% of investment until after 2040.
PhotoEstonian investment group Infortar, which controls ferry operator Tallink and energy group Elenger, has completed its €63 million acquisition of Lithuania’s Litagra. The deal adds dairy farms, turkey and broiler production, animal-feed manufacturing and crop farming to an…
PhotoRetail sales were higher than a year earlier in all three Baltic states in September, just before the heating season began in October. Lithuania recorded annual growth of 5.6%, Latvia 4.5%, and Estonia around 4%. Consumer demand held…
PhotoAs Estonian and Lithuanian property developers show growing interest in Riga, the differences between the Baltic capitals’ housing markets are attracting attention. An October 2026 comparison by Baltic Focus, using data provided with permission by Live Baltic, an…
PhotoOn 26 October 2026, EU fisheries ministers reached a political agreement to increase Baltic sprat catches by 44% next year. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are set to receive a combined quota of more than 88,000 tonnes. But the…
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