Lithuania’s youth is the happiest in Europe - but WHY?!

Lithuania topped the World Happiness Report in 2024 in #happiness of people below the age of 30. At the same time, Lithuania has one of the highest numbers of low wage workers in the EU, and more than 300 000 people emigrated from the country in the last 10 years.

So, is #Lithuania really the best place for young people?

We flew to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius to find out. We met Tomas, a 28-year-old Lithuanian. As we spent time with his family and friends, we found out insights much deeper than we imagined.
This is more than a story about happiness. It’s a story about Lithuania’s painful history, about the impact of family, and forging a new understanding of happiness altogether.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:52 Work-life balance
02:32 Life for Tomas’ mother after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
04:25 How does Tomas’ life look like today?
05:27 Do students feel supported in Lithuania?
06:47 Friends & fun
07:44 Užupis – the district of freedom
09:07 Key to happiness

CREDITS:
Author: Vicky Hristova
Editor: Shaheen Welling
Executive Editor: Lukas Hansen
Camera: Neven Hillebrands
Video Editor: Mathias Wolff
Motion Editor: Christian Kuhn
Editorial Support: Sofya Sinyakova
Special thanks to: Lithuanian Central State Archive

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