VILNIUS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Latest migration statistics showed that Lithuanian emigrants working abroad increasingly returned to their homeland, the country's internal affairs minister Eimutis Misiunas said on Thursday.
"Improving life conditions in Lithuania contribute to the return of emigrants who earlier were seeking better income abroad," Misiunas said in an interview with local radio broadcaster Ziniu Radijas.
In the interview, he commented on migration data from July which showed three consecutive months of higher numbers of people coming back to Lithuania than leaving the country.
According to Lithuania Statistics, the country's official statistics agency, 3,929 persons emigrated from Lithuania and 4,253 came to live in the country in July. The trend on increased immigration has been recorded since May.
"I believe the figures indicate that Lithuanians are returning home," Misiunas noted.
Nevertheless, the migration indicator remained negative over the January to July period as more people left Lithuania than returned back since the beginning of 2018.
Lithuania has been facing demographic issues for more than a decade, with emigration challenges particularly pronounced in the country. Earlier this year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) urged Lithuania to tackle emigration challenges as the Baltic country is losing many working-age people.
According to OECD, around 10 percent of Lithuania's residents have emigrated since 2004, a rate that is among the highest of OECD countries.
