Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Latvia
Latvia: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 20.68 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Latvia, 1992–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Latvia stood at 20.68 people per square kilometre.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Latvia peaked at 29.51 people per square kilometre in 1992 and was at its lowest, 20.63 people per square kilometre, in 2022.
Latvia ranks 163rd 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.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Latvia, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 29.51 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1993 | 28.8 people per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 28.18 people per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 27.64 people per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 27.19 people per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 26.8 people per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 26.45 people per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 26.17 people per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 25.9 people per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 25.56 people per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 25.25 people per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 24.99 people per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 24.71 people per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 24.44 people per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 24.2 people per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 24 people per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 23.74 people per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 23.35 people per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 22.87 people per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 22.45 people per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 22.18 people per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 21.95 people per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 21.75 people per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 21.58 people per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 21.4 people per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 21.22 people per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 21.07 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 20.94 people per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 20.81 people per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 20.66 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 20.63 people per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 20.68 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
Latvia compared with similar countries
- Latvia's 20.68 people per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 78.87 people per square kilometre, 26% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Latvia's 20.68 people per square kilometre is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54.24 people per square kilometre, 38% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 27.59 people per square kilometre | 26.17 people per square kilometre | 29.51 people per square kilometre | 8 |
| 2000s | 24.62 people per square kilometre | 23.35 people per square kilometre | 25.9 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.74 people per square kilometre | 20.94 people per square kilometre | 22.87 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.7 people per square kilometre | 20.63 people per square kilometre | 20.81 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latvia
- 160 Brazil 22.13 people per square kilometre compare
- 161 Guinea 22.07 people per square kilometre compare
- 162 Democratic Republic of Congo 20.71 people per square kilometre compare
- 164 Angola 20.59 people per square kilometre compare
- 165 Tajikistan 19.61 people per square kilometre compare
- 166 Uruguay 18.5 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for Latvia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.02 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.55 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.02 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.8064 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.481 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Population density 14.87 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 31,860 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.0% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.7629 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Latvia?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Latvia was 20.68 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Latvia?
- The highest recorded value was 29.51 people per square kilometre in 1992.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Latvia?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.63 people per square kilometre in 2022.
- How does Latvia rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Latvia ranks 163rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Latvia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latvia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.