Statistical information Latvia 2012

Latvia in the World

Latvia - Introduction 2012

top of page

Background: The name 'Latvia' originates from the ancient Latgalians one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.). The region subsequently came under the control of Germans Poles Swedes and finally Russians. A Latvian republic emerged following World War I but it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994 the status of the Russian minority (some 28% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Latvia - Geography 2012

top of page

Location: Eastern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea between Estonia and Lithuania

Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N 25 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 124
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries

Coastline: 498 km

Maritime claims

Climate: maritime; wet moderate winters

Terrain: low plain

Elevation

Natural resources: peat limestone dolomite amber hydropower timber arable land

Land use

Land use

Irrigated land: 8 km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 49.9 km³ (2005)

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains with some hills in the east

Latvia - People 2012

top of page

Population: 2,191,580 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 142
Growth rate: -0.598% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 221
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Latvian 59.3% Russian 27.8% Belarusian 3.6% Ukrainian 2.5% Polish 2.4% Lithuanian 1.3% other 3.1% (2009)

Languages: Latvian (official) 58.2% Russian 37.5% Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)

Religions: Lutheran 19.6% Orthodox 15.3% other Christian 1% other 0.4% unspecified 63.7% (2006)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.598% (2012 est.)
Rank: 221

Birth rate: 9.97 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 195

Death rate: 13.6 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 15

Net migration rate: -2.34 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 169

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system household and hazardous waste management as well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001 Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 156

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 123

Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 210

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.988 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 6.42 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

urban: 82% of population
rural: 71% of population
total: 78% of population

Unimproved:

urban: 18% of population
rural: 29% of population
total: 22% of population

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 59
People living with hivaids: 8,600 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 105
Deaths: fewer than 1000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 77

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 15.6% (2006)
Rank: 35

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 56

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment

Latvia - Government 2012

top of page

Country name

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital

Administrative divisions: 110 municipalities (novadi singular-novads) and 9 cities

Dependent areas

Independence: 4 May 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 was the date Latvia declared independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 4 May 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution: 15 February 1922; restored to force by the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council 21 August 1991; multiple amendments since

Legal system: civil law system with traces of socialist legal traditions and practices

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members elected by proportional representation from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by parliament); Constitutional Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by parliament)

Political parties and leaders: Union of Greens and Farmers or ZZS [Raimonds VEJONIS]; Harmony Center or SC [Nils USAKOVS]; National Alliance 'All For Latvia!'-'For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK' or NA [Gaidis BERZINS Raivis DZINTARS]; Unity [Solvita ABOLTINA]; Reform Party or RP [Valdis ZATLERS]

International organization participation: Australia Group BA BIS CBSS CD CE EAPC EBRD EIB EU FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) ICRM IDA IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NATO NIB NSG OAS (observer) OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA Schengen Convention UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description

: three horizontal bands of maroon (top) white (half-width) and maroon; the flag is one of the older banners in the world; a medieval chronicle mentions a red standard with a white stripe being used by Latvian tribes in about 1280

National symbols: white wagtail (bird)

National anthem

National heritage

Latvia - Economy 2012

top of page

Economy overview: Latvia is a small open economy with exports contributing nearly a third of GDP. Due to its geographical location transit services are highly-developed along with timber and wood-processing agriculture and food products and manufacturing of machinery and electronics industries. Corruption continues to be an impediment to attracting foreign direct investment and Latvia's low birth rate and decreasing population are major challenges to its long-term economic vitality. Latvia's economy experienced GDP growth of more than 10% per year during 2006-07 but entered a severe recession in 2008 as a result of an unsustainable current account deficit and large debt exposure amid the softening world economy. Triggered by the collapse of the second largest bank GDP plunged 18% in 2009. The economy has not returned to pre-crisis levels despite strong growth especially in the export sector in 2011-12. The IMF EU and other international donors provided substantial financial assistance to Latvia as part of an agreement to defend the currency's peg to the euro in exchange for the government's commitment to stringent austerity measures. The IMF/EU program successfully concluded in December 2011. The government of Prime Minister Valdis DOMBROVSKIS remained committed to fiscal prudence and reducing the fiscal deficit from 7.7% of GDP in 2010 to 2.7% of GDP in 2012. The majority of companies banks and real estate have been privatized although the state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises including 99.8% ownership of the Latvian national airline. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999 and the EU in May 2004. Latvia intends to join the euro zone in 2014.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$35.46 billion (2011 est.)
$33.62 billion (2010 est.)

Rank: 107

Real gdp growth rate:

5.5% (2011 est.)
-0.3% (2010 est.)

Rank: 70

Real gdp per capita:

$17,100 (2011 est.)
$15,000 (2010 est.)

Rank: 69

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: grain rapeseed potatoes vegetables; pork poultry milk eggs; fish

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 18

Labor force: 1.139 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 141

Labor force

Unemployment rate: 12.8% (2011 est.)
Rank: 141

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 32 (1999)
Rank: 86

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -2.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 95

Taxes and other revenues: 34.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 71

Public debt: 43.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 78

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 50

Central bank discount rate: 3.5% (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 98

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.39% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 138

Stock of narrow money: $8.174 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 81

Stock of broad money: $12.12 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 101

Stock of domestic credit: $21.08 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 86

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$1.252 billion (31 December 2010)
$1.824 billion (31 December 2009)

Rank: 105

Current account balance: -$363 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 94

Exports: $12.03 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 85
Commodities: food products wood and wood products metals machinery and equipment textiles
Partners: Russia 15.7% Lithuania 14.9% Estonia 11.2% Germany 6.9% Sweden 5.2% Poland 4.9% (2011)

Imports: $14.83 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 85
Commodities: machinery and equipment consumer goods chemicals fuels vehicles
Partners: Lithuania 16.6% Germany 11% Russia 7.7% Poland 7.2% Estonia 6.8% Italy 4.2% Finland 4.1% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $6.383 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 80

Debt external: $37.49 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 66

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $12.11 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 78

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $887 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 75

Exchange rates:

lati (LVL) per US dollar -
0.5519 (2012 est.)
0.5012 (2011 est.)
0.5305 (2010 est.)
0.5056 (2009)
0.4701 (2008)

Latvia - Energy 2012

Latvia - Communication 2012

top of page

Telephones
Main lines in use: 516,300 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 97
Mobile cellular: 2.309 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 134

Telephone system

Broadcast media: several national and regional commercial TV stations are foreign-owned 2 national TV stations are publicly-owned; system supplemented by privately-owned regional and local TV stations; cable and satellite multi-channel TV services with domestic and foreign broadcasts available; publicly-owned broadcaster operates 4 radio networks with dozens of stations throughout the country; dozens of private broadcasters also operate radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .lv
Hosts: 359,604 (2012)
Hosts rank: 58
Users: 1.504 million (2009)
Users rank: 81

Broadband fixed subscriptions

Latvia - Military 2012

top of page

Military expenditures: 1.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 123

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2009)

Space program

Terrorist groups

Latvia - Transportation 2012

top of page

National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 42 (2012)
Rank: 103

Heliports: 1 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 948 km; refined products 415 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 67

Roadways
Rank: 63

Waterways: 300 km (navigable year round) (2010)
Rank: 93

Merchant marine
Rank: 113

Ports and terminals: Riga Ventspils

Latvia - Transnational issues 2012

top of page

Disputes international: Russia demands better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border Latvia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules with Russia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment and destination point for cocaine synthetic drugs opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia Western Europe Latin America and neighboring Balkan countries; despite improved legislation vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting corruption extortion stolen cars and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds