96.8 % of residents in State cities are satisfied to live in their city

According to the Quality of Life 2025 survey conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) in nine State cities¹, 96.8 % of residents are satisfied to live in their city of residence. The highest shares are recorded in Valmiera (99.5 %), while the most notable increases since 2022 are observed in Jelgava and Daugavpils.

Since 2022, when the previous survey was conducted, satisfaction with living in State cities has remained consistently high. An increase in the share of satisfied residents is observed in Jelgava (by 1.9 percentage points) and Daugavpils (by 1.5 percentage points), while a slight decrease is recorded in Jūrmala (by 2.7 percentage points) and Rēzekne (by 2.0 percentage points).

Liepāja and Daugavpils rated safest and most family-friendly for households with young children 

A safer environment goes hand in hand with higher satisfaction with life in the city, particularly among families with young children. In 2025, Liepāja has the highest share of residents who feel safe when walking alone at night (78.5 %), exceeding the average across State cities (66.2 %) by 12.3 percentage points. Large shares of such residents are also observed in Valmiera (77.7 %) and Ogre (74.8 %). Confidence in the police is high across all State cities, with the highest share recorded in Jūrmala (82.6 %). 

Valmiera (97.8 %) and Liepāja (97.0 %) are most often seen as good places to live for households with young children, followed by Daugavpils (93.5 %), which recorded the largest increase since 2022 (up by 6.9 percentage points). Overall, 92.2 % of residents in State cities consider their city a good place to live for families with young children, with respondents from such households rating this even higher (95.3 %).

State cities generally rated as inclusive for different population groups

Most residents in State cities view their city as inclusive for different population groups. At least three in four respondents (74.5 %) consider their city a good place to live for people from racial or ethnic minority groups, with slightly higher share among respondents belonging to these groups (78.7 %).

A total of 71.5 % of residents consider their city a good place to live for immigrants from other countries, with 69.1 % among immigrants themselves. The highest shares are recorded in Liepāja (85.2 %), Valmiera (83.5 %) and Jelgava (72.2 %). 

Overall, 81.4 % of residents consider their city a good place to live for people with disabilities, while among respondents with disabilities this share is 72.2 %.

State cities are also widely seen as suitable for elderly. In Valmiera, almost all respondents (95 %) consider it a good place to live in old age, and similarly high shares are also observed in Liepāja and Ogre.

Jelgava leads in satisfaction with educational facilities, Jūrmala with health care services 

Compared with other State cities, Jelgava records the highest share of residents satisfied with educational facilities (kindergartens, schools and universities), at 84.4 %, followed by Valmiera (82.1 %) and Liepāja (79.3 %). By contrast, the lowest shares are observed in Jēkabpils (60.7 %) and Daugavpils (67.5 %). 

The highest satisfaction with health care services, doctors and hospitals, is recorded in Jūrmala (79.4 %), Ogre (74.0 %) and Ventspils (73.8 %). 

Liepāja and Rēzekne rate highest for satisfaction with cultural facilities

Liepāja records the highest share of residents satisfied with cultural facilities (concert halls, theatres, museums and libraries), at 96.6 %. High levels of satisfaction are also reported in Rēzekne, where nine out of ten residents are very or rather satisfied (91.9 %), as well as in Ventspils and Valmiera (90.0 % each). The smallest share of residents satisfied with cultural facilities is observed in Jēkabpils (73.9 %). 

Residents of Liepāja and Valmiera also report the highest satisfaction with sports facilities (sport fields and indoor sports halls), at 91.7 % and 91.5 % respectively. 

Valmiera and Ventspils stand out for satisfaction with the city environment 

Residents of Valmiera and Ventspils report the highest levels of satisfaction with the city environment. Ventspils has the largest share of residents very or rather satisfied with public spaces (markets, squares and pedestrian areas), at 98.9 %. In both Valmiera and Ventspils, almost all residents (98.8 % and 98.7 %) are satisfied with green spaces (parks and gardens), noise level (95.0 % and 92.8 %) and the cleanliness of the city (99.4 % and 98.5 %).

Satisfaction with environmental aspects is also high in the other State cities. Overall, 87.3 % of residents are satisfied with public spaces, 94.6 % with green spaces and 92.1 % with cleanliness. Noise levels are rated positively by 89.0 % of residents, while 90.2 % are satisfied with air quality.

High satisfaction with personal job situation across all State cities

Satisfaction with personal job situation is high across all State cities, with at least nine out of ten employed residents reporting being very or fairly satisfied. Since 2022, satisfaction has increased in Jūrmala (by 11.1 percentage points), Daugavpils (9.2 percentage points), Rēzekne (6.2 percentage points) and Liepāja (5.6 percentage points). 

Finding affordable housing is easier in Daugavpils

As regards housing, residents of Daugavpils most often report that it is easy to find a good housing at a reasonable price (43.5 %), followed by Ogre, where one in four residents (26.3 %) share this view. The lowest share of such residents is recorded in Valmiera (10.3 %). Overall, compared with 2022, the share of residents who consider it easy to find a good housing has increased in almost all State cities.

Jūrmala, Daugavpils and Liepāja have the highest satisfaction with public transport

Less than half of residents in the State cities use public transport as one of their main modes of transport ². Satisfaction with public transport is highest in Jūrmala, Daugavpils and Liepāja (87.9 %, 87.0 % and 83.0 % respectively), while the lowest share of satisfied residents is recorded in Ogre (42.1 %). 

Refer to the OSP database: DKP510 and DKP410

Slightly less than half of State city residents (48.7 %) report walking as a main mode of transport. Walking is more common among women (57.7 %), while men more often rely on a car (71.0 %). Overall, more than half of residents primarily use a car to get around. 

Methodological information

Under the project Data Collection for City and Sub-National Statistics co-funded by the European Commission, CSB conducted a survey on satisfaction with quality of life in cities from June to October 2025, covering 4 624 respondents in Daugavpils, Jelgava, Jēkabpils, Jūrmala, Liepāja, Ogre, Rēzekne, Valmiera and Ventspils. The previous survey was conducted in 2022. More detailed survey results and key indicators are available on the official statistics portal.

Using common methodology, the Quality of Life in Cities survey is carried out in 83 of Europe’s largest cities, including almost all national capitals. Explore more about quality of life in European cities on the European Commission official website.

The survey covers various aspects of life in the city of residence, e.g., satisfaction with educational facilities, health care services, urban planning (green and public spaces, sport and cultural facilities). It also helps to find out the main modes of transport used, whether people feel safe in their city and trust in local police, as well as whether they are satisfied with the work of the local public administration and public transport.

¹ CSB conducts a national survey in nine State cities (Daugavpils, Jelgava, Jēkabpils, Jūrmala, Liepāja, Ogre, Rēzekne, Valmiera and Ventspils), while data for Riga are collected by the European Commission. Results for Riga from the 2019 and 2023 surveys are also available in the official statistics portal database.

² Up to two main modes of transport were allowed (multiple responses).

Media requests:
Public Relations Section
Email: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

More information on the data:
Social Statistics Methodology Section
Dace Kalsone
Email: Dace.Kalsone@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366936