Latvia
Academic perspectives on migration, demographic decline, labour mobility and social cohesion, viewed through Latvia’s national experience.
Migration and demographic change in Latvia
In 2025, Latvia had a population of 1.85 million.
This means the country had lost about one million people compared with the year of independence, 1991, most of them due to emigration to western countries.
In 2015, around 2 million people still lived in the country. The slow ongoing decline since then is primarily due to more deaths than births. While the total fertility rate per woman stood at 1.71 in 2015, it fell to 1.35 in 2025. The country’s population is estimated to continue its decline, falling to 1.78 million by 2030 and further to 1.73 million by 2040.
Latvia experienced a migration shock following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. At the beginning of 2025, approximately 17,000 Ukrainians arrived to the country.
In terms of labour migration, Latvia issued 5,500 long-term residence permits to non-EU nationals in 2024, of which 39.4% were for work purposes. The largest groups of newcomers in 2023 came from India, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
Latvia hosts a significant population of third-country nationals, meaning non-EU citizens. As of 1 January 2024, there were approximately 216,700 third-country nationals living in Latvia, representing 11.6% of the total population. The largest groups of them come from neighbouring countries, primarily Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
In 2024, the number of first-time asylum applicants decreased by 51% to around 800 with the majority coming from Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and India. Of the 660 decisions taken in 2024, only 28% were positive. In 2025, however, these applications increased sharply to 1,290, mainly from Somalia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Tajikistan.
Interviews from Latvia
These interviews explore perceptions of migration, the institutional and societal logic shaping public debate, and recommendations based on Latvia’s national experience.
Sources and further information
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Total population statistics are taken from the United Nations Population Division.
United Nations population statistics -
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Fertility rate statistics are taken from the United Nations Population Division.
United Nations fertility statistics -
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Population projection details are provided through Latvia’s Ministry of Economics forecasting portal.
Latvian population projections -
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Migration and population statistics are provided by Latvia’s official statistical authority.
Official Statistics of Latvia -
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Labour migration and asylum statistics are drawn from the OECD International Migration Outlook 2025.
OECD International Migration Outlook 2025 – Latvia -
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Statistics on third-country nationals are drawn from the European Commission’s Migrant Integration Hub.
European Commission – Migrant integration in Latvia -
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Information concerning Ukrainian citizens is provided by Latvia’s official LiveRiga and LiveLatvia information service.
Support for Ukrainian citizens in Latvia -
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Further asylum seeker statistics are available in the OECD International Migration Outlook 2025.
OECD asylum and migration statistics – Latvia
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