Population density in Latvia
Latvia: Population density was 30.27 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▼ Falling
Population density in Latvia, 1992–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Latvia stood at 30.27 people per sq. km of land area.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Latvia peaked at 42.01 people per sq. km of land area in 1992 and was at its lowest, 30.2 people per sq. km of land area, in 2022.
Latvia ranks 169th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Population density in Latvia, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 42.01 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1993 | 41.19 people per sq. km of land area | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 40.51 people per sq. km of land area | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 39.94 people per sq. km of land area | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 39.49 people per sq. km of land area | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 39.1 people per sq. km of land area | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 38.73 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 38.42 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 38.05 people per sq. km of land area | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 37.56 people per sq. km of land area | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 37.12 people per sq. km of land area | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 36.77 people per sq. km of land area | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 36.37 people per sq. km of land area | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 35.98 people per sq. km of land area | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 35.65 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 35.36 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 34.99 people per sq. km of land area | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 34.42 people per sq. km of land area | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 33.71 people per sq. km of land area | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 33.1 people per sq. km of land area | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 32.69 people per sq. km of land area | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 32.34 people per sq. km of land area | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 32.04 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 31.78 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 31.49 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 31.21 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 30.97 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 30.76 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 30.54 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 30.28 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 30.2 people per sq. km of land area | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 30.27 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.92 people per sq. km of land area | 38.42 people per sq. km of land area | 42.01 people per sq. km of land area | 8 |
| 2000s | 36.23 people per sq. km of land area | 34.42 people per sq. km of land area | 38.05 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.01 people per sq. km of land area | 30.76 people per sq. km of land area | 33.71 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.32 people per sq. km of land area | 30.2 people per sq. km of land area | 30.54 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latvia
- 166 Lao People's Democratic Republic 33.21 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 167 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 32.09 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 168 Estonia 32.07 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 170 Angola 29.48 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 171 Somalia 29.26 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 172 Eritrea 28.64 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Latvia
- Population in the largest city 48.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 13.01 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 615,764 (2025)
- Establishments, bedrooms and bed-places in tourist accommodation, by 1,345 Number (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 89.0% (2017)
- Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by degree of 4.69 million Number (2024)
- Housing cost overburden rate by NUTS 2 region 5.7% (2025)
- Expenditure on housing function by type of benefit and means-testing 44.99 Million euro (2024)
- Wagons and their load capacity by type of wagons 4,920 Number (2024)
- Road freight transport by load capacity (LC) of vehicle and type of 15,108 Million tonne-kilometre (TKM) (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Latvia?
- Population density in Latvia was 30.27 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Latvia?
- The highest recorded value was 42.01 people per sq. km of land area in 1992.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Latvia?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.2 people per sq. km of land area in 2022.
- How does Latvia rank for population density?
- Latvia ranks 169th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Latvia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latvia data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.