National Identity
- Official name
- Republic of Latvia
- Official name (in Latvian)
- Latvijas Republika
- Name etymology
the name originates from the Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.)
Sources:- The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia ↗ - Saeima - Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
- The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
- Although various sources contain various conjectures, legends and findings about the historical origin of the Latvian flag, a widely held view is that the red-white-red colours reflected in the national flag of Latvia are first mentioned in the 13th-century Livonian Rhymed Chronicle. In connection with the attack on Riga by the Semigallian leader Namejs, the chronicle states that in 1279 a unit of the Cēsis commandery came to battle with a red-white-red flag.
- In the context of the history of the Latvian flag, the year 1917 was significant – in May of that year a meeting of artists convened in Riga at the Society for the Promotion of Art in order to develop a suitable flag design. At the meeting, several flag drafts developed by Ansis Cīrulis were considered. From several variants, the meeting chose the draft drawn by A. Cīrulis
- The red-white-red flag officially acquired the status of the national flag only on 15 June 1921, when the Constitutional Assembly adopted the law “On the Flag and Coat of Arms of the Republic of Latvia”
- Officially, on 15 February 1990 the Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR approved by law the red-white-red flag as the flag of the Latvian SSR. [...] On 16 January 1991, during the barricades, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia made amendments to the aforementioned law, replacing the terms “Latvian SSR” with the words “Republic of Latvia”, and thereby
Translated from the official publisher "Latvijas Vēstnesis" of the Republic of Latvia (1) The national flag of Latvia is carmine red with a white horizontal stripe. (2) The ratio of the red-white-red stripes of the national flag of Latvia is 2:1:2. (3) The ratio of the width to the length of the national flag of Latvia is 1:2.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia As noted by a member of the State Heraldry Commission, Dr.hist. K. Ducmane, in heraldry the red colour symbolises courage, struggle and heroism, while white symbolises nobility, openness and also surrender.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia It was precisely in the era of the national awakening, in the 1870s, that the red-white-red colours were adopted as the Latvian national colours.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Only on 9 January 1923 was the “Law on the Flags of the Latvian State Merchant Fleet, Officials and Certain Institutions and Warships” adopted in the Saeima [...] In this law, the colour proportions (2:1:2) and the shade (carmine red) of the national flag of Latvia were specified for the first time. In order to distinguish the Latvian flag from the red-white-red (1:1:1) flag of the Republic of Austria, different colour proportions (2:1:2) were established for the Latvian flag and a dark red colour was specified.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia The red-white-red flag was the national flag until 25 August 1940, when the new constitution of the Latvian SSR was adopted. [...] From 1940 the red-white-red flag was prohibited. During the Soviet occupation, people were punished for keeping a red-white-red flag with deportation or imprisonment for several years in penal camps.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia in accordance with the amendments to the law, the red-white-red flag became the national flag of the Republic of Latvia.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerSources:- likumi.lv ↗ - the official publisher "Latvijas Vēstnesis" of the Republic of Latvia
- saeima.lv ↗ - the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia
- National anthem
- Dievs, svētī Latviju!1:45
- Title (in Latvian)
- Dievs, svētī Latviju!
- Title (in English, translated)
- God Bless Latvia
- Lyrics
Dievs, svētī Latviju Mūs’ dārgo tēviju Svētī jel Latviju Ak, svētī jel to
Dievs, svētī Latviju Mūs’ dārgo tēviju Svētī jel Latviju Ak, svētī jel to
Kur latvju meitas zied Kur latvju dēli dzied Laid mums tur laimē diet Mūs’ Latvijā
Kur latvju meitas zied Kur latvju dēli dzied Laid mums tur laimē diet Mūs’ Latvijā
Source: - Citizens
- Latvians
- Official name:The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia ↗ - Saeima - Parliament of the Republic of Latvia
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- National flag:likumi.lv ↗ - the official publisher "Latvijas Vēstnesis" of the Republic of Latvia
- National flag:saeima.lv ↗ - the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Total area
- 64,589 km²
- Land area
- 62,249 km²
- Water area
- 2,340 km²
- Land borders
- 1,370 km(4 countries)
- Coastline
- 498 km
- Terrain
Low plain - Mean elevation
- 87 m
- Highest point
- 312 mGaizina Kalns
- Lowest point
- 0 mBaltic Sea
- Climate
Maritime wet, moderate winters - Avg. temperature
- 6.8 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 3.1 to 10.1 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 751 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January −1.3 −3.3 −5.7 55 February −1 −3.4 −6.3 47 March 3.4 0.2 −3.4 46 April 10.5 6.3 1.6 47 May 16.2 11.8 6.1 63 June 19.6 15.5 10.3 82 July 22.1 18 13 81 August 21.3 17 12.1 83 September 16.1 12.2 8.2 64 October 9.4 6.6 3.7 70 November 3.7 2 0 59 December 0.3 −1.4 −3.4 55 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable21.9%Perm. crops0.2%Pasture9.7%Forest55.5%Other12.8%
- Arable land
- 1,360,000 hectares (21.9%)
- Permanent crops
- 10,000 hectares (0.2%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 601,000 hectares (9.7%)
- Forest
- 3,453,828 hectares (55.5%)
- Other land
- 798,172 hectares (12.8%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- River floods6.6Very high#52/191Coastal floods3.6Low#94/191Drought2.1Very low#123/191Epidemics1.9Very low#187/191Earthquakes0.1Very low#127/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- −0.95% per year−17,624 people/yearWorld Rank226thof 237
- Birth rate
- 7.3 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 14.8 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −0.2 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 43.8 yearsWorld Rank34thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years15.0%15-64 years62.4%65 years +22.7%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 22.7%
- Share aged under 18
- 18.2%
- Total dependency ratio
- 60
- Youth dependency ratio
- 24
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 36
- Sex ratio
- 0.87 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 1.6% 4.6% 70-79 3.5% 6.3% 60-69 5.8% 7.7% 50-59 6.5% 7.2% 40-49 7.0% 6.9% 30-39 6.7% 6.3% 20-29 4.9% 4.6% 10-19 5.8% 5.5% 0-9 4.8% 4.5% - 2026
- 0.75 below the replacement level for Latvia ()1.35 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank203rdof 237
- 0.65 daughters per woman0.35 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- −7.6 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 7.6 more deaths than births a year
- 2026
- −0.2 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 68.8% live in 1,263,198 urban residents
- Largest cities2025
- Rīga, Daugavpils, Liepāja, JelgavaRankCity or TownPopulation (2025 estimate)1Rīga591,8822Daugavpils78,1123Liepāja67,3984Jelgava54,8215Jūrmala51,9336Ventspils32,7197Rēzekne26,4258Valmiera22,8119Ogre22,75310Jēkabpils21,014Source:
- Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- 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.
- Ethnic groups2021
- Latvian62.7%Russian24.5%Belarusian3.1%Ukrainian2.2%Polish2.0%Lithuanian1.1%Other1.8%Unspecified2.6%
- Religions2017
- Lutheran36.2%Roman Catholic19.5%Orthodox19.1%Other Christian1.6%Other0.1%Unspecified/none23.5%
- Languages
- Latvian (Latviešu)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President is elected by the Saeima (parliament) by secret ballot, with at least 51 members' votes, for four years (Arts. 35, 36).Source:
- Latvijas Republikas Satversme, consolidated text ↗, Arts. 35, 36
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe person invited by the President forms the Cabinet, which needs the Saeima's confidence; no confidence in the Prime Minister brings down the whole Cabinet, and the President may only propose dissolution, which a referendum must confirm (Arts. 56, 59, 48).Source:
- Latvijas Republikas Satversme, consolidated text ↗, Arts. 56, 59, 48
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Capital
- Riga605,273 people(2024)
- National holidays
- 17 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriJan 2Day off (substituted from 01/17/2026)
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- SunApr 5Easter Sunday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- FriMay 1Constitutional Assembly Convocation DayLabor Day
- MonMay 4Restoration of Independence Day
- SunMay 10Mother's Day
- SunMay 24Pentecost
- MonJun 22Day off (substituted from 06/27/2026)
- TueJun 23Midsummer Eve
- WedJun 24Midsummer Day
- WedNov 18Republic of Latvia Proclamation Day
- ThuDec 24Christmas Eve
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Second Day of Christmas
- ThuDec 31New Year's Eve
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +371
- Internet TLD
- .lv
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- LV, LVA
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 4,475,904 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 5
- Aircraft departures
- 43,243 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 2.4 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- YL
Sources:- The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- airBalticPartly state-owned
- Passenger rail
- Vivi (Pasažieru vilciens) (in Latvian)
- 2025
- 60 / 100World Rank37thof 182
Significant improverUp 11 points since 2012, when it scored 49.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 49 42 55 2013 53 47 59 2014 55 50 60 2015 56 51 61 2016 57 52 62 2017 58 53 63 2018 58 53 63 2019 56 50.2 61.8 2020 57 53.9 60.1 2021 59 56.8 61.2 2022 59 56.8 61.2 2023 60 57.1 62.9 2024 59 55.6 62.4 2025 60 56.5 63.5 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Latvijas Republikas Satversme, consolidated text ↗ - Saeima of the Republic of Latvia
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- High income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +2.3% per yearWorld Rank121stof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $28,630 (51st in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services64.2% of GDPIndustry18.7% of GDPAgriculture4% of GDPManufacturing10%part of industry
- Households
- +57.6%
- Government
- +22.9%
- Investment
- +24.1%
- Exports
- +62.6%
- Imports
- −67.2%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 3.6%down 0.3 percentage points0.3pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 963,285 (51% of population)World Rank145thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 60.8% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 6.9%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 13.6% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $44.4 per hour worked at PPP
- Labor cost2025
- €16.30 per hour$18.42 (USD), $29.52 (PPP)
- Budget balance2026
- 3.2% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 5.9% of GDP, $3.1 billion deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Government debt47.4% of GDPHousehold debt19.4% of GDPCompany debt48.9% of GDPInterest on debt0.9% of GDPCentral government debt47.4% of GDP
- Trade2025
- Goods$21.1 billion69.4%
- Services$9.3 billion30.6%
- Total exports
- $30.4 billion
- Change from 2024
- up 6.7 percent on the previous year6.7%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- 2024
- +0.76World Rank38thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +2.7% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Broad beans and horse beans (dry), Oats, Rye, and 6 more
- 1Broad beans and horse beans (dry)34.7×
- 2Oats27.5×
- 3Rye23.5×
- 4Peas (dry)15.8×
- 5Wheat7.2×
- 6Rape or colza seed6.7×
- 7Barley4.2×
- 8Raw milk of cattle2.8×
- 9Potatoes0.8×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Gold reserves2025
- 6.7 tonnesWorth $934.7 million, 15% of total official reserves by value
- Industries
- processed foods, processed wood products, textiles, processed metals, pharmaceuticals, railroad cars, synthetic fibers, electronics
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade, Gold reserves:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity, Labor cost:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2025
- €2,322 per month$2,624 (USD), $4,206 (PPP)
- Median
- €1,923 per month($2,173)
- Men
- €2,595 per month($2,933)
- Women
- €2,090 per month($2,362)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2025
- €740 per month, gross$836 (USD), $1,340 (PPP)
- Share of the average gross salary
- 32%
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.889Very highWorld Rank41stof 193LatviaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Latvia World 1990 0.736 0.608 1991 0.733 0.611 1992 0.709 0.614 1993 0.692 0.617 1994 0.686 0.620 1995 0.695 0.625 1996 0.714 0.631 1997 0.727 0.636 1998 0.738 0.641 1999 0.753 0.646 2000 0.764 0.651 2001 0.775 0.657 2002 0.786 0.662 2003 0.798 0.669 2004 0.809 0.675 2005 0.818 0.681 2006 0.823 0.688 2007 0.829 0.694 2008 0.837 0.698 2009 0.836 0.701 2010 0.833 0.707 2011 0.840 0.713 2012 0.843 0.717 2013 0.852 0.721 2014 0.854 0.726 2015 0.859 0.731 2016 0.864 0.735 2017 0.870 0.739 2018 0.875 0.741 2019 0.880 0.745 2020 0.879 0.742 2021 0.871 0.742 2022 0.881 0.752 2023 0.889 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2023
- 34
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 13.4 years
- Expected for a child today
- 16.5 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2011latest available
- 99.9% of adults
- Education expenditure2022
- 4.3% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 9.9%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 92.7% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 93.4%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 2.3 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 204,756
- Fixed broadband
- 25.8 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2021
- 17% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 89%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 97%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 95%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 33,086 people
- Asylum seekers
- 527
- Stateless persons
- 170,627
- Refugees from Latvia abroad
- 191
Source:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists2021latest available
- 478,000 arrivalsdown 75% against 201975% below 2019Official tourism site
- Per resident
- 2.5 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 1.5 million arrivals
- $1.3 billion(2024)
- 2.6% tourism direct GDP
- Domestic trips
- 3.1 million overnight trips by residents(2024)
- Residents' trips abroad
- 1.8 million overnight trips(2024)
- $1.4 billion(2024)
- 1.8 nights(2024)
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2021A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 3 sites3 cultural
Site Historic Center of Riga Struve Geodetic Arc Old town of Kuldīga Source:- The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2024
- Low by global standards2.8 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank46thof 115
- Crime rates
- 7 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 2.8 52 2024 Serious assault 28.6 538 2023 Sexual violence 29.3 551 2023 Kidnapping 0.8 16 2023 Burglary 147.7 2,779 2022 Theft 513.5 9,660 2022 Vehicle theft 27.0 507 2022 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2023
- 173.8 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 3,271
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 76.6 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 7.3% of GDP$1,645 per person
- Physicians2022
- 3.4 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2023
- 5 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 2.6 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 19 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 14.7 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2022
- 35.3% of adults
- Men
- 48.3%
- Women
- 22.2%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending2023
- 7.1% of household spendingWorld Rank7thof 105
- World median
- 3.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 8.1 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 6.81 Mt per yeardown 1.4 percent on the previous year1.4% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 3.7 t per personWorld Rank85thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.02%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 2.07 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 2.33 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 0.44 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 11.6 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 11.9 µg/m³ of PM2.50.7 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted118thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
- National standard
- 10 µg/m³
- Life expectancy gain if the national standard were met
- 0.2 years
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- some soil, water, and air pollution
- International agreements
- 19 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 106 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2017 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1995 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1995 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1995 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1996 CITES in force 1997 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 1999 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2004 Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1995 World Heritage Convention in force 1995 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 2003 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 1992 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2004 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2005 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 2005 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) in force 2026 MARPOL 73/78 in force 1992 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 0.7% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 35 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 18,575 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 52% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 0.2 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 29%
- Water stress
- 1% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 2.8% of the population100,000 people
- Obesity2024
- 22.3% of adults
- Men
- 22.7%
- Women
- 21.3%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2021
- 0.3% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 66.6 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.02%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 18% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Balanced trade, imports 4.2 TWh and exports 3.2 TWh in 20245.9 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 5.9 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 6.6 TWh per year
- Imports
- 4.2 TWh per year
- Exports
- 3.2 TWh per year
- Net
- −1.1 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 3.3% of GDP$1.4 billion, 7.5% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 9,000active-duty military personnel
- Military service2026
- Conscriptionmen 18–24, 11 months in the Armed Forces or National Guard, or 5 years in the National Guard as a whole, with a minimum of 21 days of individual training and a maximum of 7 days of collective training each year, reintroduced in 2024; voluntary men and women 18–27
As of 2024, women comprised about 16.5% of the military's full-time personnel.
Source:- The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Latvia - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
