Analytics, Culture, Forum, Latvia, Society, Tourism

In 2015, 52.4% of population indicated that during the last 12 months they have attended live performance – 9.6 percentage points more than in 2006. During the ten years, the number of population attending sport events has risen notably – from 25.2% in 2006 to 33.5% in 2015. Out of the total population number, 44.2% attended cultural sites, while 31.9% have gone to cinema last year (in 2006 – 25.6%).

Cultural participation in 2006 and 2015 (at least once during the last 12 months), %

Riga residents are attending more cultural events and less sport events

In 2015, out of the total Latvia population, Riga residents were going to cinema more commonly (42.6% of Riga residents), attending live performances (56.6%) and cultural sites (50.8%). In other regions cultural events (cinema, live performances, and cultural sites) were attended by smaller population share. Zemgale and Latgale residents were among ones visiting cinema less (21.2% and 21.7%, respectively), mentioning that there is no cinema nearby as the main reason behind that. Kurzeme residents were the ones attending live performances rather rarely (44.6%), Latgale residents – cultural sites (29.5%), while Riga and Latgale residents – sport events (29.3% and 24.3%, respectively).

Young people are increasingly more interested in sport events

In 2006, cultural and sport events more commonly attended by young people aged 16–24, while in 2015 also population in other age groups tended to do that increasingly more. The share of young people attending live performances has not changed notably during the last ten years (in 2006 – 62.1%, in 2015 – 62.8%), while people in other age groups were attending such events significantly more. Last year, live performances were attended by 62.6% of population aged 25–49, 50.5% of population aged 50–64, and 32% of population aged over 65. The greatest number of young people were attending sport events last year – increase from 54.8% in 2006 to 66.1% in 2015.

Cultural participation in 2006 and 2015 by age group (at least once during the last 12 months), %

Just about one third of population having long-standing illness or health problems attended live performances and cultural sites

The largest share of population aged 25–49 not having limitation in activities people usually do at least once had gone to live performance or attended cultural site during the last 12 months  (65.9% and 57.5%, respectively). Notably less people within the same age group and being severely limited had gone to live performances or attended cultural sites – 36.6% and 31.9%, respectively.

Cultural participation (at least once during the last 12 months) of population aged 25–49 by limitations in activities during the last 6 months, 2015 (%)

More information on cultural participation is available in the CSB publication "Income and Living Conditions in Latvia, 2015".

Data on cultural participation were acquired within the survey “EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions” (EU-SILC) of 2015. The survey covered 8 thousand households, and data on cultural participation were acquired by surveying persons who were at least 16 years old at the end of 2014. 

Methodological explanations

Life performance – pre-developed and pre-organised event (show, opera, ballet, concert, dance performance, etc.), incl. amateur performance.

Sport event – pre-organised sports games and competitions, incl. amateur sports games and competitions.