Capital

Lettland

name: Riga

geographic coordinates: 56 57 N, 24 06 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: of the several theories explaining the name's origin, the one relating to the city's role in Baltic and North Sea commerce is the most probable; the name is likely related to the Latvian word "rija," meaning "warehouse," where the 'j' became a 'g' under the heavy German influence in the city from the late Middle Ages to the early 20th century

Citizenship

Lettland

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Latvia

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Legal system

Lettland

civil law system with traces of socialist legal traditions and practices

Suffrage

Lettland

18 years of age; universal

Area

Lettland

total: 64,589 sq km

land: 62,249 sq km

water: 2,340 sq km

Land use

Lettland

agricultural land: 29.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 18.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 10.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 54.1% (2018 est.)

other: 16.7% (2018 est.)

Location

Lettland

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania

Age structure

Lettland

0-14 years: 14.92% (male 139,877/female 131,839)

15-64 years: 63.37% (male 570,902/female 583,578)

65 years and over: 21.71% (2023 est.) (male 134,809/female 260,745)

Birth rate

Lettland

8.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Lettland

14.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Lettland

Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4%; note - data represent language usually spoken at home (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s):
World Factbook, neaizstājams avots pamata informāciju. (Latvian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Lettland

total population: 76.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 71.8 years

female: 80.8 years

Major urban areas - population

Lettland

621,000 RIGA (capital) (2023)

Median age

Lettland

total: 45.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 41.3 years

female: 48.9 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Lettland

27.3 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Lettland

-5.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Lettland

largest concentration of people is found in and around the port and capital city of Riga; small agglomerations are scattered throughout the country

Population growth rate

Lettland

-1.13% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Lettland

1.55 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Lettland

urban population: 68.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: -0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Lettland

6% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Lettland

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 17 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Lettland

-0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Lettland

1.93% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Lettland

955,000 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Lettland

22.9% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Lettland

7.6% (2021 est.)

8.1% (2020 est.)

6.31% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Lettland

36.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

37.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities, including sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government, and social security funds

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Lettland

3.28% (2021 est.)

0.22% (2020 est.)

2.81% (2019 est.)

Exports

Lettland

$25.248 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.768 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.539 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Lettland

Lithuania 17%, Estonia 9%, United Kingdom 8%, Germany 7%, Russia 7% (2021)

Imports

Lettland

$26.622 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.427 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.765 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Lettland

Lithuania 15%, Russia 14%, Germany 9%, Poland 8%, Estonia 8% (2021)

Airports

Lettland

42 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Lettland

total: 490,569 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Lettland

total: 1.729 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 91% (2021 est.)

Railways

Lettland

total: 2,216 km (2020) 257 km electrified

Roadways

Lettland

total: 70,244 km (2018)

paved: 15,158 km (2018)

unpaved: 55,086 km (2018)

Telephones - fixed lines

Lettland

total subscriptions: 191,798 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Lettland

total subscriptions: 2,161,725 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Lettland

300 km (2010) (navigable year-round)

Disputes - international

Lettland

Latvia-Belarus: Belarus and Latvia signed joint demarcation map in September 2008

Latvia-Estonia: demarcation reportedly completed in 1998

Latvia-Lithuania: boundary demarcation was completed by the end of 1998; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights

Latvia-Russia: Russia demands better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; in March 2007, Latvia and Russia signed a border treaty, which includes Latvia withdrawing claims to a district now in Russia that was part of Latvia before WWII; the permanent demarcation of the boundary between Latvia and Russia was completed and came into force in April 2018; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Latvia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules with Russia