Lithuania's middle class want 60 pct higher income, survey founds

VILNIUS - Almost six in ten Lithuanians identify themselves as middle-class but are not happy with their current income level, a survey commission by Swedbank has found. 

Jurate Cvilikiene, head of Swedbank's Institute of Finances, says an increasing share of the population consider themselves as belonging to the middle-class because of growing income and improving financial expectations.  

However, these people are not satisfied with their income and would like to earn at least 60 percent more in the future, she said. 

The OECD defines the middle class as people earning between 75 percent and 200 percent of the median national income.  

Swedbank Lithuania's chief economist Nerijus Maciulis says those with gross monthly incomes of 760 to 2,028 euros currently fall within that range in Lithuania. 

A Eurobarometer survey has shown that 79 percent of Lithuanians who position themselves in the middle class are happy with their life, compared with 93 percent in Estonia. Only 61 percent of these respondents in Lithuania were completely satisfied with their job.