Population of Latvia stood at 1.857 million at the beginning of 2025

RIGA - Population of Latvia stood at 1.857 million at the beginning of 2025; compared to 2024, population of Latvia has declined by 1 percent, or by 18,400 people, the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) said on Monday.

As a result of negative natural change, with deaths outnumbering births, the total population declined by 0.7 percent or 13,800 people. In addition, negative net migration - with more people leaving the country than entering - led to a decrease of 0.3 percent, or 4,600 people.

In 2024, 63 percent of the total population were of working age (15-64 years), and the share has reduced by 0.1 percent compared to 2023. Elderly population (65 and over) increased by 0.5 percent and made up 21.9 percent of all inhabitants, while the number of children (14 and under) decreased by 0.3 percent, totaling 15.1 percent.

The mean age of the population in Latvia is 43.5 years, ranging from 42.7 years in the Riga region to 45.9 years in Latgale.

In 2024, 13,700 people arrived in Latvia - 694 (4.8 percent) fewer than in 2023. Out of all immigrants, 3,900 people (28.3 percent) came from the EU countries, 2,900 (20.9 percent) from the EU candidate countries, including 2,700 from Ukraine, 2,800 (20.7 percent) from the United Kingdom, and almost 3,000 (21.6 percent) from the CIS countries (down by 17.5 percent compared to 2023), including 2,100 from Russia (15.5 percent of all immigrants).

Additionally, 18,300 people left Latvia - 670 (3.8 percent) more than in 2023. War refugees from Ukraine accounted for 5,056 (27.6 percent) of this number. Out of all emigrants, 8,600 (47.1 percent) went to EU countries (16.3 percent more than in 2023) and 5,200 (28.2 percent) went to EU candidate countries (11.7 percent fewer than in 2023). Emigration to CIS countries increased by 126 people (33.9 percent) and totaled 498 people. Among separate countries, Germany takes the leading position with 2,200 emigrants (1,600 in 2023).

At the beginning of this year, almost 17,000 Ukrainian war refugees lived in Latvia (25,700 at the beginning of 2024).

Return migrants, i.e., citizens or non-citizens of Latvia as well as inhabitants having different citizenship but born in Latvia, accounted for almost 10,000 people or made up 72.9 percent of all immigrants. Compared to 2023, the number of return migrants has reduced by almost one thousand while their share in the total immigration by 3.3 percentage points.

In 2024, 12,887 children were born in Latvia, a decrease of 1,603 children, or 11.1 percent, compared to 2023.

According to CSB data for 2024, the mean age of mothers at birth of first child was 28.1 years and the overall mean age of mothers at childbirth was 30.4 years. These figures are in line with trends in other EU countries, indicating a continued postponement of childbearing.

The greatest proportion of children and adolescents (0-14 years) in the total population of the respective region was registered in Riga region - 15.7 percent. In other regions, it ranged from 15.4 percent in Zemgale to 12.7 percent in Latgale. The share of children in cities varied between 17.1 percent in Jelgava and 13.6 percent in Daugavpils. With one in four inhabitants being a child aged 14 and under (25.2 percent of the total population in municipality), Marupe was the youngest municipality, whereas Kraslava and Augsdaugava had the smallest proportions of children - only 9.8 percent and 10.9 percent respectively.

The share of people of working age (15-64 years) varied between 63.3 percent in Riga region and 62.4 percent in Kurzeme. Among the cities, the share of working-age population ranged from 63.2 percent in Riga to 61.1 percent in Ogre and Ventspils. The smallest proportion of population at this age was recorded in Valka municipality (58.7 percent), whereas the largest in Rezekne municipality (65.7 percent).

With one in four residents (24.4 percent) aged 65 or older, Latgale region has the greatest share of elderly population, whereas Riga region the smallest - 20.9 percent. Among the cities, the largest share of elderly population was recorded in Ventspils (24.9 percent) and Daugavpils (24.8 percent), while the smallest in Jelgava (20.4 percent). Kraslava and Valka municipalities have the greatest proportions of elderly - 27.3 percent and 26.8 percent respectively, whereas Marupe the smallest - 10.8 percent.

With 26,661 deaths registered in 2024, mortality has reduced. Compared to 2023 the figure has gone down by 1,370 deaths (4.9 percent) and compared to the high mortality in 2021 (34,600) - by 22.9 percent.

At the beginning of 2025, the share Latvians in the total population went up by 0.4 percentage points and reached 63.7 percent (63.3 percent at the beginning of 2024). However, population decline was recorded among several largest ethnicities living in Latvia: the number of Russians fell by 0.2 percent and of Ukrainians by 0.1 percent.

Out of the total population, 88.6 percent were born in Latvia and 11.4 percent abroad. Those born in the EU countries accounted for 1.1 percent, in Russia for 5 percent, in Ukraine for 2.3 percent, and in Belarus for 1.8 percent. Out of the children (17 years and under), 95.2 percent were born in Latvia, followed by 1.4 percent born in the United Kingdom and Ukraine as well as 0.3 percent in Ireland and Russia.

In terms of citizenship, 87.8 percent of the population were formed by citizens of Latvia (0.5 percentage points more than a year ago), 8.9 percent by non-citizens of Latvia (0.3 percentage points fewer), and 3.2 percent by citizens of other countries (of which, 28.2 percent were refugees from Ukraine).

Last year, Latvia had urban population of 1.294 million people (69.7 percent of the total population lived in cities) and rural population of 563,000 people (30.3 percent). Almost half (45.6 percent) of all inhabitants lived in Riga region, and 592,000 - 31.9 percent of the total population and 45.7 percent of the urban population - lived in the capital, Riga.

In terms of regions, 239,166 inhabitants lived in Latgale (1.7 percent, or 4,200, fewer than a year ago), 274,754 in Kurzeme and 221,893 in Zemgale (1.2 percent, or 3,400 and 2,600, fewer), 273,957 in Vidzeme (1.1 percent, or almost 3,000 fewer), and 847,162 in Riga region (0.6 percent, or 5,200, fewer).

In terms of population size, Ogre with 57,600 and Valmiera with 50,600 inhabitants are the largest municipalities. Tukums municipality with 43,400 inhabitants, Cesis municipality with 41,300, and Bauska municipality with 40,500 are the largest municipalities which do not include a city in their territory. Whereas Varaklani with 2,800 and Valka with 7,600 inhabitants are the smallest municipalities.

In 2024, population growth was recorded in four municipalities in Riga region - Marupe, Adazi, Ropazi, and Salaspils - and one municipality in Vidzeme region - Saulkrasti. The highest population growth was registered in Marupe municipality (of 1.5 percent, or 563 people). All mentioned municipalities, as well as Valka, Olaine and Dienvidkurzeme municipalities had positive net migration, whereas positive natural population change was recorded in Marupe, Ropazi, Kekava and Adazi municipalities.

Jurmala was the only city where population increase (of 1.3 percent, or 680 people) was registered. The rest of the cities witnessed population decline: Ventspils of 1.6 percent (524 people), Jekabpils of 1.3 percent (277 people), Riga of 1.2 percent (6,900 people), Daugavpils of 1 percent (819 people), Rezekne of 1 percent (274 people), Liepaja of 1 percent (683 people), Ogre of 0.9 percent (214 people), Valmiera of 0.8 percent (175 people), and Jelgava of 0.7 percent (387 people). The number of deaths exceeded the number of births in all cities. Positive net migration was registered in two cities - Jurmala and Rezekne.