Latvia People - 2024

Population

1,821,750 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Latvian(s)

adjective: Latvian

Ethnic groups

Latvian 62.7%, Russian 24.5%, Belarusian 3.1%, Ukrainian 2.2%, Polish 2%, Lithuanian 1.1%, other 1.8%, unspecified 2.6% (2021 est.)

Languages

Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4%; note - data represent language usually spoken at home (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s):
World Factbook, neaizstājams avots pamata informāciju. (Latvian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Latvian audio sample:

Religions

Lutheran 36.2%, Roman Catholic 19.5%, Orthodox 19.1%, other Christian 1.6%, other 0.1%, unspecified/none 23.5% (2017 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.92% (male 139,877/female 131,839)

15-64 years: 63.37% (male 570,902/female 583,578)

65 years and over: 21.71% (2023 est.) (male 134,809/female 260,745)

2023 population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 59.3

youth dependency ratio: 24.9

elderly dependency ratio: 34.4

potential support ratio: 2.9 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 45.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 41.3 years

female: 48.9 years

Population growth rate

-1.13% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

8.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

14.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

-5.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

largest concentration of people is found in and around the port and capital city of Riga; small agglomerations are scattered throughout the country

Urbanization

urban population: 68.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: -0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

621,000 RIGA (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female

total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.3 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

18 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 71.8 years

female: 80.8 years

Total fertility rate

1.55 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.76 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.9% of population

rural: 98.6% of population

total: 99.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population

rural: 1.4% of population

total: 0.5% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

7.5% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

3.4 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

5.5 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 98.9% of population

rural: 85.3% of population

total: 94.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population

rural: 14.7% of population

total: 5.4% of population (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate (2023)

vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 12.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 4.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 1.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 5.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 37% (2020 est.)

male: 50.3% (2020 est.)

female: 23.7% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

21.1% (2020/21) NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.1% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.9%

male: 99.9%

female: 99.9% (2021)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 17 years (2020)