At least one child lives in every fourth household in Latvia
Data of the Population and Housing Census 2021 collected by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB)1 show that at the beginning of 2021, there were 824.8 thousand private households in Latvia2. Of all Latvian households, in 217.3 thousand or 26.3 % of them there is at least one minor child.
There are more females than males living alone
Mostly there are one-person households in Latvia: 41.1 % of the total number of households. Such households are most common in Riga (45 %), Latgale (42.5 %), but least common in Pierīga (36.8 %). Females are living in 58.7 % of all one-person households. Females live on average 9–11 years longer than males. In 2020, the life expectancy of newborns was 79.5 years for females and 70.4 years for males; this explains the high share of female population in the total number of one-person households. The highest share of females in one-person households is observed in Kurzeme (60.4 %) and Latgale (60.2 %).
In a quarter or 25.5 % of households, there are two persons living, whereas in every third (29.7 %) - 3-5 persons.
In Latvia, households of six or more persons (including all persons living in one dwelling - both parents with children and several generations) are 3.7 %. The highest number of such households is in Pierīga (5.4 %) and Vidzeme (5.3 %), but the lowest is in Riga (2.2 %).
Three or more children more often registered in Vidzeme and Zemgale households
At the beginning of 2021, there were a total of 358.5 thousand children, of which 1.1 thousand or 0.3 % lived in institutional households3. Of all households with children, 54 % have one child, 32.9 % have two children, 13.1 % have three or more children.
The largest share of the households with children are in Pierīga (32 %), followed by Zemgale (27.5 %), Vidzeme (26.3 %), Kurzeme (26.1 %), Riga (24.7 %). Only every fifth (22.5 %) household in Latgale has at least one child.
In all regions of Latvia, the most common number of children in a household is one child. Most often only one child is in Riga (59.1 % of all households with children) and in Latgale (57.3 %), while in Pierīga less than half of all households with children - 48.9 %.
Pierīga has the largest share of households with two children - 36 %, but there are fewer such households in Latgale and Riga - 30.7 % and 31.4 %, respectively. Also the share of households with three children in Latgale and Riga is lower than in other regions: 11.9 % and 9.6 % respectively. The largest share of households with three or more children is in Vidzeme and Zemgale - 16.4 % and 16.1 % respectively.
1 million 867 thousand persons live in private households, that is 98.6 % of the total population. The average number of inhabitants in a household is 2.26. 25.9 thousand persons or 1.4 % of the total population live permanently outside private households - in institutional households (for example, child and elderly care institutions, prisons, etc.).
Methodological explanations
1Private household- includes all persons living in one dwelling or living unit (shared dwelling).
2Unlike in previous Population and Housing Censuses, Census 2021 will mainly be based on the information available in administrative data sources, by fully refusing from surveying population online and in places of residence.
3Institutional households- includes persons whose housing and subsistence needs are provided by an institution. An institution is a legal entity designed to provide long-term accommodation and services to a group of persons. Institutions usually have common areas shared by residents (bathrooms, lounges, dining rooms, bedrooms, etc.).
Media requests:
Information and Communication Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366989, +371 27880666
More information on data:
Social Statistics Methodology Section
Sigita Meldere
E-mail: Sigita.Meldere@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366751
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