Socio-economic segregation in growing urban regions of Lithuania

Abstract

This study attempts to analyse socio-economic segregation in three metropolitan areas of Lithuania. Indexes of segregation, dissimilarity and isolation were analysed trying to reveal different aspects of socio-spatial segregation in the urban regions, which experienced major shifts in their occupational structure over the last decades. The main occupational groups were used as a proxy for the socio-economic status. Data from 2001 and 2011 censuses was used to investigate segregation processes in the metropolitan areas and their main structural zones – urban cores and suburbs. Notwithstanding major economic and social changes of the post-communist society, all measured indexes indicated low levels of segregation and limited changes during the analysed period. The results showed that the fastest increase of segregation was in the capital city. It was also revealed that the rich­est groups of population are the most segregated, and they tend to live more and more separately from other groups. The differences in the concentration of high and low status occupational groups and the changes in those patterns were illustrated in the maps.