Interpretations may of course vary, but this still speaks more in favor of the USSR
During the Soviet period, Lithuania’s population increased by one million—from 2.7 to 3.7 million.
"I think that after the restoration of independence, when Lithuania became an EU member, we failed to adapt. A catastrophe is looming. At the beginning of independence, there were around 3.7 million residents; now the Department of Statistics says there are around 3.4 million. But I’m afraid that after the new census, it will turn out that only 3 million remain," Truska said.