Share of population with tertiary education keeps growing, particularly among women

A Central Statistical Bureau estimate, produced using administrative data, shows that 31.2 % of the population aged 15 and over had completed higher education at the beginning of 2024, which is 0.5 percentage points more than a year ago. Moreover, the sharpest increase in the proportion of people with tertiary education was recorded among women.

The share of men with higher education last exceeded that of women in the 1979 census, when 8.6 % of men and 7.6 % and women aged 16 and over had attained it. At the beginning of 2024, 24.4 % of men and 36.9 % of women aged 15 and over had completed education at tertiary level.

Proportion of employed persons with tertiary education steadily increasing

At the beginning of 2024, 41.4 % of the 861 thousand persons aged 15 and over employed on the Latvian labour market had tertiary education. The proportion has increased by 0.7 percentage points over the year. Out of the number, 22.7 % had completed education at master's level¹, 14.2 % at bachelor's level, 3.8 % at short-cycle tertiary education level (college), and 0.7 % at doctoral level. Upper secondary education was attained by 38.4 % of the employed persons, post-secondary non-tertiary education by 12.4 %, lower secondary education (second stage of primary education) by 7.4 %, and first stage of primary education by 0.4 %.

Highest employment rates in Mārupe, Ķekava, Ādaži, Ropaži, and Salaspils municipalities

Out of the 1.5 million inhabitants aged 15 and over, 861 thousand, or 54.6 %, were employed at the beginning of 2024. Riga and Valmiera had the highest employment rates among the State cities – 57 %, followed by Ogre with 56.4 %, Jelgava with 55.6 %, Jūrmala with 53.9 %, Liepāja with 53.5 %, Jēkabpils with 51.5 %, Ventspils with 51.3 %, Rēzekne with 50.5 %, and Daugavpils with 48.6 %.

Share of employed persons in municipalities and State cities; at the beginning of 2024

(per cent of inhabitants aged 15 and over)

Refer to the OSP database: EKA140 and interactive maps

The highest employment rates (exceeding 60 %) for inhabitants aged 15 and over were recorded in Mārupe (64.6 %), Ķekava (63.0 %), Ādaži (62.6 %), Ropaži (61.6 %) and Salaspils (60.2 %) municipalities.

Olaine (59.3 %), Sigulda (59.0 %), Saulkrasti (57.6 %), Ogre (56.9 %), and Cēsis (55.1 %) municipalities had employment rates between 55 % and 60 %.

Quite a large part of municipalities had an employment rate of 50–55 % – Jelgava (54.9 %), Smiltene (54.7 %), Valmiera (54.3 %), Tukums (53.4 %), Bauska (52.8 %), Dienvidkurzeme (52.6 %), Gulbene (52.4 %), Dobele (51.8 %), Saldus (51.8 %), Ventspils (51.2 %), Limbaži (51.1 %), Kuldīga (51.0 %), Talsi (51.0 %), Jēkabpils (50.9 %), Madona (50.8 %), Aizkraukle (50.5 %), and Alūksne (50.3 %).

The lowest employment rates (below 50 %) were recorded in Preiļi (49.6 %), Balvi (49.5 %), Varakļāni (48.9 %), Līvāni (48.7 %), Rēzekne (47.4 %), Valka (47.3 %), Augšdaugava (46.4 %), Krāslava (44.6 %), and Ludza municipalities (44.5 %).

Half of all employed persons living in Jūrmala had tertiary education

Riga region has the highest number of employed persons with educational attainment at tertiary level – 48.7%. Vidzeme follows with 35.6 %, Latgale with 35.2 %, Zemgale with 33.6 %, and Kurzeme with 33.5 %.

Among the State cities, the greatest share of employed persons with higher education was recorded in Jūrmala (50.0 %), which is followed by Riga (48.4 %), Ogre (43.7 %), Jelgava (42.7 %), Rēzekne (41 %), Daugavpils (40.6 %), Valmiera (40.2 %), Liepāja (37.5 %), Ventspils (37.0 %), and Jēkabpils (33.9 %).

Methodological information

¹ Level of education successfully completed based on the International Standard Classification of Education ISCED-2011. Compliance of the current classification of Latvian education system with ISCED-2011 is stipulated by the Cabinet Regulations No 322 Regulations on the Classification of Latvian Education of 13 June 2017.

Media requests:
Public Relations Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
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More information on data:
Sigita Meldere
Social Statistics Methodology Section
E-mail: Sigita.Meldere@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366751