Share of population living in rural areas in Latvia
Latvia: Share of population living in rural areas was 42.9% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Latvia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Latvia recorded 42.9% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Latvia peaked at 49.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 38.4%, in 1990.
Latvia ranks 47th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Latvia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.2% | — |
| 1955 | 47.7% | -3.0% |
| 1960 | 45.7% | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 43.9% | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 42.4% | -3.4% |
| 1975 | 41.0% | -3.2% |
| 1980 | 39.6% | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 39.2% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 38.4% | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 40.5% | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 40.5% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 40.7% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 41.7% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 42.3% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 42.9% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 48.5% | 47.7% | 49.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 44.8% | 43.9% | 45.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 41.7% | 41.0% | 42.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 39.4% | 39.2% | 39.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 39.5% | 38.4% | 40.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 40.6% | 40.5% | 40.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 42.0% | 41.7% | 42.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 42.9% | 42.9% | 42.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Latvia
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 share of population living in rural areas in Latvia?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Latvia was 42.9% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Latvia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Latvia?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.4% in 1990.
- How does Latvia rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Latvia ranks 47th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Latvia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latvia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.