Severe material and social deprivation rate becoming lower

Results from a population survey conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSB) by interviewing one in a hundred households show that 6.2 % of the total population suffered from severe material and social deprivation¹ in 2023 (1.6 percentage points fewer than in 2022 when those were 7.8 %). Severe material and social deprivation means experiencing an enforced lack of at least 7 out of 13 deprivation items, e.g., capacity to being confronted with payment arrears, spending a small amount of money each week on oneself, or having regular leisure activities that cost money.

Material and social deprivation rate reducing among those with the lowest income

Material and social deprivation rate still was notably higher among people with the lowest income (belonging the bottom or the first quintile group²), however severe material and social deprivation in this group became lower and fell to 18.0 % in 2023 (annual decline of 4.3 percentage points). The indicator was calculated based on a self-perceived situation, and a small proportion (0.6 %) of the richest population (belonging to the top or the fifth quintile group) believed that are experiencing an enforced lack of several material and social deprivation items.

* Household income in the income reference period, i.e., 2022.

Refer to the OSP:  MIS060 and NNN180

Majority lack at least one of 13 deprivation items

Regardless generally smaller severe material and social deprivation, the greatest share of the population (59.9 %) believed that experience an enforced lack of at least one out of 13 deprivation items (58.1 % in 2022).

Slight increase was registered in the share of population who lacked capacity to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home (from 29.6 % in 2022 to 32.9 % in 2023), of replacing worn-out furniture (from 25.8 % to 27.7 %), of being confronted with payment arrears (on mortgage or rental payments, utility bills, hire purchase instalments or other loan payments) (from 6.7 % to 7.7 %), and to face unexpected expenses³ (from 44.6 % to 45.5 %).

However, decrease was recorded in the share of population who, due to financial reasons, lacked capacity of getting together with friends/family for a drink/meal at least once a month (from 8.4 % in 2022 to 5.3 % in 2023) and who lacked access to a car/van for personal use (from 13.7 % to 10.8 %, with increasingly larger proportion of those mentioning that do you not have a car for other reasons not because cannot afford it (from 17.9 % to 20.1 %)). The proportion of people mentioning that they lack capacity of having two pairs of properly fitting shoes (including a pair of all-weather shoes) has reduced slightly as well (from 6.2 % to 4.8 %).

In 2023, just under a half of the total population (49.4 %) had a capacity of having regular leisure activities (that cost money) (down by 1.8 percentage points since 2022). Almost one in five inhabitants did not have this capacity because could not afford it (17.5 % in 2022 and 17.4 % in 2023) and one third of all inhabitants because of other reason (31.3 % in 2022 and 33.3 % in 2023).

Refer to the OSP: NNN020, NNN100 and NNN190

More material deprivation statistics is available in the official statistics portal section Poverty and inequality (EU-SILC) and informative leaflet Material Deprivation in Latvia 2023 (available in Latvian only).

Material and social deprivation data were acquired in a CSB survey on population income and living conditions which in 2023 covered 10.2 respondents (aged 16 and over) from 5.8 thousand households. 

Methodological information

¹Severe material and social deprivation rate is defined as the proportion of the population experiencing an enforced lack of at least 7 out of 13 deprivation items (six related to the individual and seven related to the household): 1) capacity to being confronted with payment arrears (on mortgage or rental payments, utility bills, hire purchase instalments or other loan payments), 2) ability to keep home adequately warm, 3) capacity to face unexpected expenses, 4) capacity to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or vegetarian equivalent every second day, 5) capacity to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, 6) have access to a car/van for personal use, 7) replacing worn-out furniture, 8) replacing worn-out clothes by some new ones, 9) having two pairs of properly fitting shoes (including a pair of all-weather shoes), 10) spending a small amount of money each week on him/herself, 11) having regular leisure activities, 12) getting together with friends/family for a drink/meal at least once a month, 13) having internet connection.

2 Quintile group is one fifth (20 %) of the number of surveyed households grouped in an ascending order based on the disposable income per household member.

³Unexpected expenses are calculated annually according to the at-risk-of-poverty threshold per equivalised consumer three years earlier (in 2023 the 2020 at-risk-of poverty threshold was used). In 2023 the unexpected expenses amounted to EUR 450 and in 2022 to EUR 365.

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

More information on data:
Social Statistics Methodology Section
Darja Behtere
E-mail: Darja.Behtere@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366901