I live in Lithuania, the happiest place on earth for under 30s. As a very happy 28-year-old, here's what it's like.

17.07.2024 - 12:11 / insider.com

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with a digital marketer Aivaras Vilutis, about being a 28-year-old living in Vilnius, Lithuania. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in a small Lithuanian town but moved to the capital, Vilnius, for university. I've lived here most of my adult life.

Vilnius is a growing city full of opportunities. Compared to smaller Lithuanian cities, it has more jobs and events, and there's a constant influx of new people.

Recently, Lithuania topped the World Happiness Report ranking for under 30s, with the country's young people rating themselves 7.76 out of 10 on the happiness scale. I completely understand why, especially as a young person living in Vilnius.

When I was in high school, most classmates planned to either learn a trade in college or go to university.

The state funds higher education in public institutions. As long as you pass your national exams during high school, you can apply to a state-funded university with free tuition.

Although our degrees are specialized, you can still change your mind and switch degrees. I initially studied creativity communication but changed my mind. Because I'd completed less than half of my credits for the degree, I could still switch to a new bachelor's and complete it free of charge. This is the standard practice in Lithuanian universities. Our education system didn't put me in a box. I started and completed a degree in neurophysics.

If I had completed more than half the credits for my degree, I would have had to pay to start another degree.

During my four-year neurophysics bachelor's degree, I did several paid internships in science labs and traveled abroad for a semester at NASA, which the university paid for.

When I did an International Internship for NASA in America, people said they appreciated how specialized Lithuanian degrees were, which showed me that our education system is respected internationally.

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I left university without any debt, giving me a strong financial start.

Lithuania has plenty of laser, medical, and customer support industries that have been around for years. They're still thriving and generating new job opportunities.

We're also becoming a major tech hub. Startups and tech companies are booming in cities like Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda.

Lithuania is home to unicorn companies like Vinted and Nord Security, and the government has started investing in tech development through national programs. My first job after university was in tech at a simultaneous language interpretation company. I've also worked in digital advertising.

While working in Vilnius, I've earned more than my parents did in their small town. Salaries aren't as high as