Analytics, Demography, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Society

Latvia's population has been declining since the beginning of the 1990s, and the trend is not likely to stop in the near future. The country's population is reducing due to emigration and negative natural growth rate. According to Eurostat estimates, Latvia's population, which was 2.024 million in 2013, will be 1.88 million in 2020 and 1.635 million in 2030.

The average number of newborns in Latvia will decrease to 17,800 in 2020 and 13,100 in 2030. The average fertility rate, on the other hand, will increase from 1.5 children now to 1.6 children in 2020 and 1.68 children in 2030. The proportion of children in population will increase from 14.7% now to 15.5% in 2020, but then fall to 14.2% in 2030.

On the other hand, the proportion of senior citizens, 65 and older, will increase – at the moment this group of residents makes up 19% of population, it will increase to 20.5% in 2020 and 25.3% in 2040.

The survey analyzes demographic changes from 2000 to 2013, noting that Latvia's population decreased 16% or by 380,000 residents during this period. For the first time in sixty years, Latvia's population dipped below 2 million last year.

Emigration, which increased steeply after Latvia's accession to the European Union and during the crisis years, accounts for two-thirds of the figure. Latvia has lost 238,000 residents due to emigration from 2000 to 2014.

The Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry's report presents the findings of a study into the development of public individual services in various regions of Latvia.