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Contacting friends is more common than getting together face-to-face in Latvia

Liene Āboliņa, Statistics Latvia, 16.05.2016.Print version
Data acquired by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that, in 2015 52.8% of population aged 16 or over contacted with family (relatives) thereof (by phone, e-mail, regular mail, social media, etc.) at least once a week (daily or every week (not every day)) – 7.5 percentage points more than in 2006 (45.3%). Last year, 29.2% of population got together (met face-to-face) with family at least once a week – 7.8 percentage points less than in 2006.

People less often are getting together with friends, while increasingly more frequently contacting with them. In 2006, 50.7% of population got together with friends at least once a week, while in 2015 the share was notably smaller – 38.2%. Contacts with friends have not changed significantly – 62.2% of population contacted with friends at least once a week (in 2006 – 57.5%).


Frequency of getting together and contacts with friends and family in 2006 and 2015, %


Females tend to contact with family more often than males

In 2015, 39.3% of males got together with friends and 25.6% – with family at least once a week, while among females the indicators accounted for 37.4% and 32.1%, respectively. Last year, 21.8% of females and 24.8% of males got together with family at least once a year.

 

In 2015, 45.2% of males contacted with family at least once a week, while 59.5% contacted with friends. Whereas females were more active – 59.0% contacted with family at least once a week and 64.3% contacted with friends.

Frequency of getting together and contacts with friends and family in 2015 by gender, %


9 out of 10 persons aged over 65 have never communicated via social media

In 2015, 85.1% of young people aged 16–24 and 58.3% of population aged 25–49 communicated via social media at least once a week. Among population at older age, communication via social media were less common: 24.7% of population aged 50–64 and 5% of population aged over 65 communicated via social media at least once a week.

 

Communication via social media by age group; 2015 (%)

 

Total population

16–24 years

25–49 years

50–64 years

65 years and older

Daily

19.5

56.2

26.5

8.3

1.7

Every week (no every day)

20.9

28.9

31.8

16.4

3.3

Several times a month (not every week)

7.7

5.9

10.8

9.0

1.9

Once a month

3.8

2.1

5.3

4.6

1.1

At least once a year

1.5

0.5

2.2

1.7

0.5

Never

46.6

6.4

23.5

60.1

91.6

 

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

 

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


Methodological explanations

Getting together with family (relatives) and friends – meeting relatives and friends living in another household by arranging the meeting prior. The indicator does not include accidental encounters, as well as getting together with and meeting members of own household.

 

Communicating via social media – writing, commenting, liking, or reacting to posts, posting images, etc.







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