Population and Demographics of Latvia
Population declining at 0.56% in 2024 · 21.74% aged 65 or older
The working-age group represents 62.85% of Latvia's population, and the current annual rate is -0.56% rather than a static population. The longer record adds perspective: the population changed by -20.9% between 2000 and 2024. By 2050, the medium path points to 1.51 million, equivalent to a -19.1% change from the 2024 estimate.
Population Over Time in Latvia
Between 2000 and 2024, Latvia's population decreased by about 0.50 million, moving from 2.368M to 1.872M. For 2050, the medium projection is 1.514M. That is a difference of about 0.36 million people from the 2024 estimate. The chart connects dated reference points only and should not be read as an annual interpolated series.
Age Structure and Sex Balance
The balance between children, working-age adults and older residents gives Latvia a older age profile. Older adults represent 21.74% of residents and children under 15 represent 15.41%; the broad working-age group makes up 62.85%. Older adults outnumber children in these broad age bands.
Population by broad age group
In the World Bank 2024 series, females account for 53.6% of Latvia's population and males 46.4%. Females exceed males by 7.2 percentage points.
Female and male population share
Females made up 53.6% of the population in the World Bank's 2024 series, compared with 46.4% males.
What Is Shaping Population Change
For Latvia, the latest annual population movement is -0.56%, compared with fertility of 1.3, with age composition adding a 6.33-point gap between children and older adults.
By 2024, Latvia had shifted -20.9% from its 2000 population level, whereas the medium projection changes the population -19.1% by 2050; that contrast is reported without assigning unsupported causes.
2024 estimate for Latvia. The world comparison value is 2.25 children per woman.
Latvia vs. World
The world comparison highlights three contrasts for Latvia. Annual change is -0.56% versus +0.87% globally, fertility is 1.3 versus 2.25, and median age is 43 versus 30.6 years.
| Indicator | Latvia | World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual population change | -0.56% | +0.87% | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.3 | 2.25 | 2024 |
| Median age | 43 | 30.6 | 2024 |
To keep the comparison defensible, all three indicators come from one harmonized 2024 table that attributes the demographic series to UN WPP 2024.
Key Takeaways
Latvia has 1,871,871 people in the 2024 estimate, with the population changing -0.56% over the year.
Age structure is a key feature of the profile: 15.41% are under 15 and 21.74% are 65 or older.
The 2024 female and male shares are 53.6% and 46.4% respectively.
The 2050 medium projection is 1.514M, 19.1% below the 2024 estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Latvia?
The 2024 harmonized population estimate for Latvia is 1,871,871 people.
Is the population of Latvia growing or declining?
In the 2024 estimate, Latvia's population is declining, with annual change of -0.56%.
What percentage of the population of Latvia is aged 65 or older?
People aged 65 or older account for 21.74% of Latvia's 2024 population in the UN WPP-based broad age data.
What is the projected population of Latvia in 2050?
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium projection puts Latvia's 2050 population at 1,513,810.
What is the fertility rate in Latvia?
The 2024 harmonized fertility estimate for Latvia is 1.3 children per woman.
Sources & methodology
This profile uses United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 as the primary framework for globally comparable population, age, fertility and projection data. The World Bank is the primary source for the female population share. Some country values were accessed through secondary retrieval interfaces that republish or organize UN data; those interfaces are identified below as secondary and are not treated as the original statistical publishers.
View sources used for this page
Primary global framework for the population estimates and projections.
Harmonized 2024 country table based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized broad age shares based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized reference for the 2000 population point.
Harmonized 2050 country projection based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Used for the 2024 female share; the male share is calculated as the remainder to 100%.