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Latvia's child population drops 2.4% as cities see sharper declines

Fewer children, but more in classrooms: Latvia's shifting demographics reveal a surprising trend. Cities shrink while education programmes thrive.

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2 min read
The image shows an old map of the city of Riga, Latvia, with text on the paper. The map is detailed...
The image shows an old map of the city of Riga, Latvia, with text on the paper. The map is detailed and shows the streets, buildings, and other features of the area. The text provides additional information about the city, such as its population, landmarks, and streets.

Latvia's child population drops 2.4% as cities see sharper declines

Latvia's child population has shrunk by 2.4% over the past year. At the start of 2025, the country had 8.3 thousand fewer children than in 2024. The decline is uneven across regions, with some areas seeing sharper drops than others. The share of children under 18 has fallen in several major cities over the last five years. In Riga, the proportion dropped from 19.2% in 2021 to 18.1% in 2025. Daugavpils saw a decline from 22.4% to 20.8%, while Jūrmala's share fell from 21.5% to 20.2%. These figures come from Latvia's Central Statistical Bureau.

At the beginning of 2025, Riga's child population stood at 17.5%. Nearby municipalities, however, had much higher rates. Mārupe led with 29.6%, followed by Ādaži at 24.9% and Ķekava at 24.7%. Meanwhile, Latgale recorded the lowest share of children in the country, at just 15.9%. Despite the overall decline, participation in education programmes has grown. In the 2024/2025 school year, 90.3 thousand children were enrolled in pre-school education. Extracurricular activities also saw a rise, with 160.3 thousand students joining interest-based programmes—a 7.3% increase from the previous year. Sports clubs at general schools attracted 30.8 thousand students, up from 29.7 thousand in 2023/2024. Cultural education remained popular, with 76.1 thousand participants. New STEM-focused programmes enrolled 24.1 thousand students, while specialised interest-based institutions saw numbers climb from 54.7 thousand to 61.8 thousand.

The data shows a steady decrease in Latvia's child population, particularly in cities like Riga and Daugavpils. Yet, enrolment in extracurricular and educational programmes continues to grow. This suggests shifting priorities in youth engagement, even as overall numbers decline.

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