According to the survey data, more than half of the respondents believe that the level of anti-Semitism in the country has remained unchanged over the past five years, but 14% see an increase in the problem, and 18% see a decrease.
„Unfortunately, this increase is not surprising – anti-Semitic statements are a reality in our political arena, so it is not surprising that more and more people see this as a problem in Lithuania. Statements by public figures and politicians are not just words – they influence society, and such public anti-Semitic statements can turn into actions directed against the Jewish community in Lithuania,“ said Birutė Sabatauskaitė, the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman, in a statement.
The survey also revealed that the majority of the population considers the desecration of Jewish cemeteries (43 per cent), anti-Semitic graffiti and vandalism of Jewish buildings and institutions (43 per cent), and anti-Semitism on the internet, including social networks (36 per cent), to be problems.
The smallest number of respondents (28%) believe that there is a problem of anti-Semitism in schools and universities in Lithuania.
More than half of those surveyed say that people in Lithuania are well informed about the history and customs of the Jewish people, and the same number agree completely or partially that Lithuanian schools teach enough about the Holocaust.
The survey results also revealed that some residents lack knowledge of the laws in force. Sixty-two per cent of respondents said they knew that Lithuania has laws criminalising incitement to hatred and violence against Jews. In comparison, 51 per cent knew that Holocaust denial is a crime in Lithuania.
Sabatauskaitė noted that the state should pay more attention to educating the population that anti-Semitic actions can lead to legal consequences.
„The data shows that about a quarter of the population is unaware of these legal provisions, and one in five believes that such actions are not prohibited at all. We can conclude that the state should pay more attention to educating the population about the fact that anti-Semitic actions, including incitement to hatred or violence and Holocaust denial, carry real consequences,“ she said.
The Eurobarometer survey was conducted in November 2025.