Official statistics portal
CSB
Official statistics of Latvia
Official Statistics Portal of Latvia
Press release

In 2022 the lowest birth number in the century recorded

Provisional data compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia show that birth number keeps declining: 15 535 children were born in 2022, which is the lowest number recorded in the past hundred years and 10.8 % or 1 885 children fewer than in 2021.

Compared to 2021 when due to the COVID-19 pandemic the greatest death number in the past 20 years was registered, last year death number fell by 12.3 %. The sharpest death decline was observed in the Q4 2022 – of 23.1 %, compared to Q4 2021. Before the pandemic, namely from 2012 to 2019, the death number tended to reduce, while in 2022, compared to 2019, it grew by 9.5 %.

On 1 January 2023 provisional number of inhabitants in Latvia accounted for 1 million 891 thousand, which is 15.2 thousand people more than on 1 January 2022, as Ukraine refugees are included in the population of the country granting asylum. This is a common practice in all EU countries accepting refugees from Ukraine. On 1 January 2023, 39.8 thousand citizens¹ of Ukraine who left their country due to the warfare had registered their residence in Latvia. The estimate for the number of Ukraine refugees in the total usually resident population of Latvia will be published on 1 June when all administrative data are received.

Deaths outpacing births two times for the second year in a row

Natural increase in Latvia has been negative since 1990, however in 2022, just like a year ago, death number exceeded birth number by 14 811 people or two times (widest gap was recorded in 2021 when deaths exceeded births by 17 180).      

Birth and death statistics by month: CSB interactive tool

Marriage number steadily growing for the past three years

In 2022, 12 110 marriages were registered, which is 7.9 % (882 marriages) more than a year ago. The number of marriages concluded last year has reached that recorded before pandemic when over a six-year period (from 2014 to 2019) more than 12 thousand marriages were registered annually. In comparison, in 2020 when public gatherings were restricted 10 702 marriages were registered.

Population and key vital statistics
Deaths by sex and age group in regions
Data visualisation Number of births and deaths in Latvia, 1920–2022

Methodological explanations

 

Deaths – provisional number of deaths in the respective month. To produce annual statistics the data are specified by supplementing death number with the number of persons the death whereof was registered after the national registration deadline (6 working days) as well as usual residents of Latvia who passed away while temporarily abroad.

 

Births – provisional number of live deaths in the respective month. To produce annual statistics the data are specified by supplementing birth number with the number of children the birth whereof was registered after the national registration deadline (one month) as well as children born to usual residents of Latvia while temporarily abroad. Whereas children born to parents who are not citizens of Latvia and do not have usual residence in Latvia are excluded from the birth number.

 

¹ The number includes citizens of Ukraine the residence whereof was registered in Latvia at the beginning of the respective month, while at the beginning of 2022 their residence was not in Latvia. Additionally, a person shall have a residence permit for at least 11 months and one of the criteria – person has been granted a temporary protection status or has a citizenship of Ukraine – shall be met. 

Media requests:
Communication Section
E-mail media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366989, +371 27880666,

More information on data:
Ance Ceriņa
Social Statistics Methodology Section
E-mail: Ance.Cerina@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366904

Share