Largest Cities and Towns by Population in Latvia

81 cities and towns in Latvia, ranked by population estimates for January 1, 2025 (by Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia).

RankCity or TownPopulation
1Rīga591,882
2Daugavpils78,112
3Liepāja67,398
4Jelgava54,821
5Jūrmala51,933
6Ventspils32,719
7Rēzekne26,425
8Valmiera22,811
9Ogre22,753
10Jēkabpils21,014
11Salaspils17,863
12Mārupe16,790
13Tukums16,180
14Cēsis15,020
15Sigulda14,757
16Kuldīga9,863
17Bauska9,701
18Saldus9,686
19Olaine9,648
20Talsi8,673
21Dobele8,536
22Ādaži7,580
23Ikšķile7,448
24Ludza7,162
25Krāslava6,797
26Līvāni6,757
27Baloži6,739
28Gulbene6,722
29Aizkraukle6,689
30Madona6,575
31Limbaži6,516
32Alūksne6,188
33Lielvārde5,873
34Preiļi5,767
35Balvi5,546
36Iecava5,298
37Smiltene5,072
38Ķekava4,942
39Valka4,615
40Aizpute3,820
41Baldone3,684
42Grobiņa3,674
43Kandava3,232
44Vangaži3,168
45Saulkrasti3,123
46Brocēni2,922
47Pļaviņas2,862
48Viļāni2,696
49Rūjiena2,633
50Salacgrīva2,468
51Koknese2,377
52Auce2,154
53Ķegums2,065
54Ilūkste2,036
55Priekule1,841
56Kārsava1,837
57Dagda1,773
58Skrunda1,736
59Jaunjelgava1,681
60Varakļāni1,619
61Stende1,501
62Viesīte1,473
63Lubāna1,418
64Sabile1,353
65Zilupe1,232
66Cesvaine1,197
67Valdemārpils1,147
68Viļaka1,139
69Seda1,101
70Mazsalaca1,092
71Aloja1,046
72Līgatne1,017
73Strenči968
74Aknīste931
75Pāvilosta858
76Piltene823
77Ape773
78Staicele745
79Ainaži650
80Subate523
81Durbe480

Source: Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff.

Why don't these match official city populations?Official figures typically count only the population within administrative boundaries. UN urban area figures cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.

Tokyo

33,338,852

Urban area

9,953,160

23 wards

Essen

2,709,375

Urban area

573,618

City of Essen

Ankara

3,630,865

Urban area

5,186,002

Metropolitan municipality

What counts as an urban area? The UN uses satellite imagery to map built-up land, and treats each continuous stretch of built-up land as an urban area. This means that urban areas can extend beyond official city boundaries, and may include multiple cities and towns within a single urban area.

Can an urban area be smaller than its city? Yes. While most cities have urban areas larger than their administrative boundaries, some cities have extensive administrative limits that include sparsely populated areas.

3 urban areas in Latvia with 50,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation Estimate (2026)Yearly ChangeLand Area (km²)Density (P/km²)World RankProjections (2030)Projections (2050)
1Riga548,532−0.32%1463,7571,009541,592484,739
2Daugavpils57,637−0.36%163,60210,82256,79954,232
3Liepaja54,726−0.33%222,48811,37254,00351,816

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition.

See also