The population of Latvia in 1990 is. The population of Latvia. The ratio of male and female population

The population of Latvia is over 2 million people.

From time immemorial, Latvia has been a multinational state: before the First World War, traditional national communities of Latvians, Russians, Poles, Jews and Germans formed on its territory.

The population of Latvia has significantly decreased in recent years due to migration - the Russian-speaking population is leaving the country, and Latvians, on the contrary, are coming from the USA, Sweden and Canada.

National composition:

Latvians (58%);
Russians (29%);
Belarusians (4%);
Ukrainians (3%);
other nations (6%).

On average, 34 people live per 1 sq. km, but the east of the country and areas of the Zemgale Plain are characterized by a high population density, while a low population density is observed in the north-west of Latvia.

The official language is Latvian.

Large cities: Riga, Daugavpils, Liepaja, Jelgava, Jurmala, Ventspils, Valmiera.

The inhabitants of Latvia profess Protestantism, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Judaism, Baptism.

Lifespan

On average, residents of Latvia live up to 69 years (males up to 64, and females up to 75 years).

The main causes of death of the population are cardiovascular and oncological diseases, poisoning, and injuries. Certainly, Latvians would live longer if it were not for their craving for alcohol (Latvia ranks 11th in Europe in terms of alcohol consumption).

Traditions and customs of the inhabitants of Latvia

Latvians honor their traditions and customs and treat their mother tongue with respect.

They like to celebrate the summer holiday Ligo (June 23): it is not customary to go to bed on this night. According to traditions, those who stay awake will receive a charge of vivacity from higher powers for a whole year. This holiday is accompanied by seating by the fire, stories of funny things that happened to people during the year, as well as songs and the consumption of traditional treats (cheese, beer). And the youth is sure: to become lucky, on this night you need to find a blooming fern, so they go in search of it in the forest.

Wedding traditions are of interest: in order for the newlyweds to live happily and prosperously, they must visit 7 different bridges (when crossing the bridge, the newlyweds must launch a balloon into the sky, placing a note with a cherished desire in it). And having approached the last, seventh bridge, the groom must carry his beloved over it, holding her in his arms.

Traditional dishes (broth, meat pies, veal rolls) are always put on the festive table in Latvia.

If you have a business meeting with a Latvian, know that they are very punctual people and always arrive on time (to greet a Latvian, he needs to shake hands).

In fact, this means that in terms of population, Latvia has returned to the level of 1950. At the same time, this census was repeatedly criticized for its bias with the possibility of participating in the census on the Internet, as well as with the wording "resident of Latvia, living abroad for more than a year." According to some other estimates, the real population of the country is about 1.8 million people, that is, not at the level of 1959, but at the level of 1920.

The maximum number of Latvia was recorded in 1990 at the mark: 2,668,140 people.
After this year, an ongoing decline in the population of the republic begins.
In 2014, the population crosses the 2,000,000 mark and continues to decline.

The population of Latvia in the context of national composition:

The population of Latvia from time immemorial has been multinational. So, according to the data of the first official census, conducted here in 1897, the national composition was as follows:

Russians 12.0% (230 thousand)
Jews 7.4%
Baltic Germans 6.2%
Poles 3.4%
The rest are Lithuanians, Livs, Estonians, Gypsies and representatives of other nationalities.

At the beginning of 2015, the national composition looks like this:

Latvians - 59.8%
Russians - 26.6% (the largest national minority in Latvia)

The national ratio separately in two large cities of Latvia for 2015 is very interesting:
Riga:

Latvians - 45.92%
Russians - 37.99%

Daugavpils:

Latvians - 19.16%
Russians - 49.99%

As of 2015, 12.2% of the country's population do not have any citizenship and, therefore, are deprived of the rights of citizens (including to elect and be elected to representative bodies of power) . Most permanent residents can be granted citizenship after paying a fee, testing knowledge of the Latvian language, the constitution and history of Latvia.

RIGA, May 30 - Sputnik, Elena Kirillova. The Central Statistical Office (CSO) of Latvia reported on the changes that affected the country's population in 2016.

The figures are disappointing again: the population of Latvia has once again decreased - last year there were 18.8 thousand fewer Latvians than a year earlier.

According to the CSO, at the beginning of 2017, there were 1 million 950 thousand inhabitants in Latvia. According to Aija Žigure, head of the Central Statistics Office of Latvia, the trend is such that since the restoration of Latvian independence (the highest figure was in 1990 - 2 million 668 thousand inhabitants in Latvia), the population has been constantly decreasing, so last year did not present any special surprises: a decrease in 18.8 thousand people is a figure that is quite expected.

Latgale is losing population the fastest

If we consider the situation by regions, the number of inhabitants increased only in Riga (by 1.8, or 0.3%). In turn, the most rapid population decline is shown by the Latgale region - the number of inhabitants decreased by 6.3 thousand, or 2.3%, which is 0.3 percent more than in 2015.

In Vidzeme, the population decreased by 2.1 percent (or 4.2 thousand), in Kurzeme by 1.9 percent (or 4.8 thousand), in Zemgale - by 1.6 percent (3.9 thousand) in Riga region — by 0.4 percent (1.4 thousand).

Cities in Latvia are also losing population, the only exception here is Riga. The most catastrophic situation is in Rezekne - the number of inhabitants decreased by 1.8% (518 people), followed by Liepaja - 1.7% (1187), Daugavpils - 1.5% (1266), Ventspils - 1.5% (541) , Jekabpils - 1.5% (338), and Jelgava closes this sad top with 0.5% (310).

According to the CSO, only 9 out of 110 Latvian regions showed population growth and almost all of them (excluding the Aknist region) are included in the near-Riga region. Moreover, experts explain the increase in the population of the Aknist region (by 15 people) by the fact that there simply became more residents of social care institutions.

Of all these parishes, the population of the Carnikava region increased the most (by 1476 people), but, according to the CSB employees, this is due to the fact that people hurried to settle issues with benefits and taxes, declaring in real estate located in the Carnikava region, where for years no one did not.

"Where most of the people declared in Carnikava actually live, we must admit, we cannot say for sure," said Maranda Behmane, director of the Department of Social Statistics of the CSB.

The most active leave Latvia

Traditionally, more people leave Latvia than come, and the death rate of the population exceeds the birth rate.

Data on long-term emigration (when a person is absent from Latvia for more than one year) shows that the most active part of the population leaves Latvia in search of a decent wage and a favorable life - these are men (54.5%) aged 25 to 34 (30, 2%). The second place is occupied by the age group from 35 to 49 years (25.7%).

"I don't want to call it a catastrophe, but the situation with how Latvia is losing population is very serious," Maranda Behmane said.

There is also good news: half of the long-term immigrants (those who have decided to return to Latvia, or new residents) also make up an active and working group of the population - these are people from 25 to 49 years old.

It is noteworthy that the number of declared children from 0 to 5 years has increased. This, according to experts, is also a positive signal, which shows that people probably do not want to lose contact with Latvia and register their children in order to give them a choice in their future life and study.

With all this, the age of the inhabitants of Latvia is steadily growing - every year the number of residents over 65 years of age increases. Last year there were 1.3 thousand more. The share of pensioners increased from 19.6% at the beginning of 2016 to 19.9% by the beginning of 2017.

According to the national division, the population of Latvia is also declining almost evenly: in 2016, the number of Belarusians and Lithuanians decreased by 2.6%, Ukrainians and Poles by 2.3%, Russians by 1.8% and Latvians by 0.6%. At the same time, despite the decrease in absolute terms, the share of Latvians increased and amounted to 62% at the beginning of 2017 instead of 61.8% at the beginning of 2016.

The specialists of the Latvian Central Statistical Office are confident in the methods of their calculation, but they do not deny that the error in the figures may be approximately 180 thousand people. Therefore, by the next population census, which is planned to be held in Latvia in 2021 (the last census took place in March 2011), all registers will be put in order and the numbers will be more accurate, the CSB assures.

The capital of Latvia is a unique city. In terms of population, Riga is second only to Sweden's Stockholm and Norway's Oslo. The structural and national composition of the population of the Latvian capital is quite different from the indicators for the country. The eight-century history of the city is the history of the struggle for independence.

City Information

Riga is the largest Baltic city with a history spanning more than eight centuries. It is a large industrial, economic and cultural center of Latvia.

The city has an advantageous geographical position: the Baltic Sea borders Riga on the northwestern side. The center is an open-air museum. The most interesting unique architectural monuments, as well as wooden buildings of the 19th century, have been preserved here. The old town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Near the center are residential areas - 67 square kilometers. The rest of the territory is an industrial building. These are plants, factories, on which Riga's industry is based.

The economy of Riga, in accordance with the strategy of economic development of Latvia until 2030, relies mainly on the chemical industry and IT technologies. In addition, it is a major port on the Baltic Sea. More than 70 thousand enterprises are located in the city.

History of Riga

Interestingly, the demography of the capital of Latvia is closely connected with the historical events taking place in the country. The history of the city was vividly reflected in the structure and population of Riga. Moreover, the capital itself developed as if in a different demographic dimension than the whole country.

Until the 10th century, only rare tribes of the nationality called Livs (they belong to the Finno-Ugric peoples) lived on the territory of modern Riga. They were not warlike, they were engaged in fishing and hunting.

Later, Baltic and Balto-Slavic tribes came to these lands from the south and partially assimilated with the local population. However, they failed to organize a state on these lands, as German feudal lords appeared and seized these lands. The Baltic tribes were then scattered, so they could not unite against the invaders who came here under the pretext of Christianization. Interestingly, the Latvian capital was founded not by Latvians, but by German knights. Then the population of Riga was extremely heterogeneous. So, the elite were ethnic Germans, and the Baltic peoples were not allowed to live in the city center or enter into interethnic marriages. Encouraged by the invaders, however, the adoption of German culture and the transition to their language. So, until 1581, the absolute majority of Germans remained in the city of Riga, while the rest of the Latvians settled throughout the country.

The Polish-Lithuanian union state called the Commonwealth began to own these lands. And Latvians finally began to appear in the city, as well as Lithuanians, Poles, and Jews.

In 1621 Riga became part of Sweden. But already in 1719 it was captured by the Russian army.

In 1721 Riga passed into the possession of the Russian Empire. The city continued to be multicultural. Latvians made up only 45 percent of the population of Riga, a quarter - the Germans. And the Russians in the city were only 17%.

Riga declared independence in 1918, remaining part of the Soviet Union. And only since 1992 it has been an independent state.

City population

704 thousand people currently live in Riga. The population is steadily declining at a fraction of a percent a year. There is an outflow of about two thousand people annually. In Riga, however, compared to other cities in Latvia, the outflow is not as strong. The reasons for the decline in the population are natural decline, as well as migration. The number of young people is greatly reduced both in the city itself and in the country as a whole. For 10 years their number has decreased from 20 to 14 percent.

Historically, population growth has also been very uneven. So, after the proclamation of the First Republic, rapid industrial growth began. Riga was the fifth most important city of the empire (after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Odessa and Warsaw). However, in 1935, the outflow of German citizens from the country began, and then, during the Holocaust, the number of Jews was greatly reduced.

During World War II, 12 percent of the population of the entire country was killed. Of course, the capital city also suffered greatly. After, during the Soviet era, the population grew steadily until 1990, the city was supposed to become a millionaire. However, after leaving the Union, a new outflow of the population began.

Forecasts for the future

If current trends continue in Riga, by 2030 the population may decrease by 24 percent. This means that by this time 500,000 people will leave the city (or die from those currently living there). Such disappointing conclusions were made by the Central Statistical Office of Latvia. Perhaps in the future Riga will cease to be the most populous city in Latvia and the entire Baltic, and will also not be one of the largest capitals of Northern Europe. It is the only metropolitan city in the region to experience negative population growth. Latvian scientists suggest that with the assistance of the birth rate, the outflow of citizens can be slowed down to 12 percent.

Resettlement of citizens by districts

The area of Riga is 304 square kilometers. The city consists of Latgale and Zemgale suburbs, Kurzeme, Ziemel (northern) and Central regions. Only 25,000 citizens live in the city center, which is 1/30 of the total population. Most people - 179,000 people - live in the largest district of the city, the Latgale suburb, which occupies one sixth. High-rise buildings predominate here, but historical buildings of the 19th century have also been preserved. Kurzeme region and Zemgale suburb include 129 and 104 thousand inhabitants respectively. Least of all living in the north of the city. In the Ziemelsky (Northern) district - only 79,000 people. However, most educational institutions are located here: 12.

Ethnic composition

The capital of Latvia has been and continues to be a multinational city throughout its history. The national composition of the population of Riga is represented primarily by Latvians - there are 310,000 of them. 50 thousand less than Russians. Also, the population is represented to a lesser extent by Belarusians, Ukrainians (25 thousand people each - this is three percent).

Previously, before the Second World War, Jews in the capital of Latvia were almost 13 percent. The Jewish population was subjected to the Holocaust, so now there are only 0.7 percent of the Jewish population in Riga.

The original inhabitants of these lands are Livs, currently represented by only 87 residents of the city. It's only 0.01 percent.

The city has the highest average salary in the country - more than 900 euros. For comparison: already in the second largest city in the country, Daugavpils, the average income is only 580 euros.

The population of Riga is also the most educated in all of Latvia. The number of citizens with a diploma of higher education is 32 percent.

The unemployment rate in the capital is 4.8 percent.

Languages spoken in the city

The most common language in the city, oddly enough, is Russian. It is spoken by 55 percent of the citizens. It is colloquial and everyday language. Latvian is spoken by 43 percent of the townspeople, Latgalian is also represented - 5%. Other languages spoken in the city are Ukrainian, Polish, Lithuanian, Belarusian. The number of citizens speaking each of them does not exceed a thousand people.

There is a very high gender gap in the city. So, in Riga there are 70 thousand more women. Thus, the male population in the city is 45%, and the female population is 55%.

The all-Latvian tendency is that there is a constant outflow of citizens. However, if the average population in the country has decreased by 17% over the 17 years of the beginning of the century, then in Riga itself these figures are lower - by only 16%.

The old city is included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List.

Five religions peacefully coexist in Riga, and each of the religious communities has its own temples.

It was in the capital of Latvia that the inventor of jeans, Jacob Davis, was born. He immigrated to the United States, where he met Levi Strauss, and together they created the Levi's denim brand.

The most common surname in Riga, as well as throughout Latvia, is Berzins, which translates as "birch".

Latvia is a state in the north of Europe. There are 1.88 million people living in the country. The population density in the country is 30.5 people/km2. Most of the population lives in cities.

According to Wikipedia, the main national composition is represented by: Latvians (61.78%), Russians (25.62%), Belarusians (3.35%), Ukrainians (2.27%) and Poles (2.11%). Age groups: 15% - children (under 15); 68.1% - adult able-bodied population (15-65 years old); 16.9% are older people over 65. Life expectancy is 72.7 years.

The country is facing an acute problem associated with a decrease in the population. After the restoration of independence by Latvia in 1991, the number of citizens began to decline. The main reasons for this trend: the excess of deaths over births, emigration.

Historical data

The annual reduction in the population for 30 years by an average of 1.08% or 24.5 thousand people.

Statistics

1989. - 2,659,197 people, by 0.68%.
1990. - 2,664,847 people, by 0.21%.
1991. – 2,654,520 people, ↓ by 0.39%.
1992. – 2,628,180 people, ↓ by 0.99%.
1993. – 2,589,954 people, ↓ by 1.45%.
1994. - 2,547,023 people, ↓ by 1.66%.
1995. – 2,506,715 people, ↓ by 1.58%.
1996. – 2,473,146 people, ↓ by 1.34%.
1997. – 2,446,466 people, ↓ by 1.08%.
1998. – 2,424,638 people, ↓ by 0.89%.
1999. – 2,404,585 people, ↓ by 0.83%.
2000. – 2,383,002 people, ↓ by 0.90%.
2001. – 2,358,314 people, ↓ by 1.04%.
2002. – 2,330,937 people, ↓ by 1.16%.
2003. – 2,301,838 people, ↓ by 1.25%.
2004. – 2,271,942 people, ↓ by 1.30%.
2005. – 2,242,246 people, ↓ by 1.31%.
2006. – 2,213,331 people, ↓ by 1.29%.
2007. – 2,185,241 people, ↓ by 1.27%.
2008. – 2,157,796 people, ↓ by 1.26%.
2009. – 2,130,762 people, ↓ by 1.25%.
2010. – 2,103,912 people, ↓ by 1.26%.
2011. – 2,077,091 people, ↓ by 1.27%.
2012. – 2,050,375 people, ↓ by 1.29%.
2013. – 2,024,473 people, ↓ by 1.26%.
2014. – 2,000,605 people, ↓ by 1.18%.
2015. – 1,979,928 people, ↓ by 1.03%
2016. – 1,956,525 people, ↓ by 1.18%.
2017. – 1,933,401 people, ↓ by 1.18%.
2018. – 1,910,546 people, ↓ by 1.18%.

Number of people currently living

How many people currently live in the country, is there any dynamics? To date, the population continues to decline in proportion to the last three years.

Population growth is -1.18%. 2019 - 1,887,965 people.

Population change rates in 2019:

fertility: 51 people/day (average).
Mortality: 75 people/day (avg.).
Migration population growth: -37 people/day (avg.).
Decay rate: 61 persons/day (average).

Analyst forecasts

Experts also predict a subsequent decline in the population. According to statistics, population growth will decrease by another 1.5% and will average: -3.39%. Due to insufficient support from the state, families do not want to have more than one child.

The level of national welfare is falling, citizens are forced to look for more favorable conditions, which leads to educational and working emigration to other European countries.

This factor leads consistently to the obsolescence of the population, as the most active and young people leave.

The country does not have enough potential mothers, the number of newborns is declining. Since 2014, the birth rate has not shown positive dynamics.

Forecast for 30 years

2020. – 1,892,994 people. ↓
2025. – 1,812,686 people, ↓ by 4.24%.
2030. – 1,747,197 people, ↓ by 3.61%.
2035. – 1,681,893 people, ↓ by 3.74%.
2040. – 1,622,763 people, ↓ by 3.52%.
2045. – 1,569,178 people, ↓ by 3.30%.
2050. – 1,517,206 people, ↓ by 3.31%.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Population Division.

Since the 1990s, Latvia has been in a demographic hole. To date, this situation has not been rectified. The population falls by 1.08% annually. The state allocates funds to increase the birth rate, but they are not enough to establish positive indicators.

The Latvian population, and the European population as a whole, is becoming obsolete. At the same time, life expectancy increases.

To overcome the demographic decline in Latvia, it is necessary to reduce the emigration outflow of the population, ensure the birth rate of more than two children in each family, encourage young families, and provide the population with competitive jobs and educational places.