Lithuania Cities by Population 2024

The most southern of the Baltic states, Lithuania lies on southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Its capital and most populous city is Vilnius, with 574,221 residents, making it also the second-largest city in the Baltic states after Riga in Latvia. The city is known for the baroque architecture in its medieval Old Town, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vilnius is a culturally vibrant city, and is a previous European Capital of Culture. Napoleon famously called it the 'Jerusalem of the North' in reference to its large Jewish population, which has influenced the city's artistic and intellectual heritage.

Lithuania's second-largest city is Kaunas, with a population of 299,466 residents. The city served as the capital during the interwar period (while Vilnius was part of Poland), and continues to be an important cultural and intellectual center, as well as being economically significant. Kaunas is famous for its art deco architecture – it was awarded the European Heritage Label and has been named as a UNESCO City of Design. Kaunas is also likely to be an increasingly popular tourist destination, having already been named European Capital of Culture for 2022.