Share of population living in the capital city in Latvia
Latvia: Share of population living in the capital city was 29.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in the capital city in Latvia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in the capital city in Latvia stood at 29.0%.
That represents a change of up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Latvia peaked at 30.9% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 24.1%, in 1950.
That places Latvia 39th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in the capital city in Latvia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 24.1% | — |
| 1955 | 25.2% | +4.4% |
| 1960 | 25.7% | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 26.4% | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 27.5% | +4.0% |
| 1975 | 28.7% | +4.4% |
| 1980 | 30.1% | +4.8% |
| 1985 | 30.4% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 30.9% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 29.3% | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 28.9% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 28.8% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 28.5% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 28.5% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 29.0% | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 24.6% | 24.1% | 25.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 26.1% | 25.7% | 26.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 28.1% | 27.5% | 28.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 30.3% | 30.1% | 30.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 30.1% | 29.3% | 30.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 28.9% | 28.8% | 28.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 28.5% | 28.5% | 28.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 29.0% | 29.0% | 29.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Latvia
More population data for Latvia
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.8064 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.02 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 31,860 people (2100)
- Population density 14.87 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.481 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.3147 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in the capital city in Latvia?
- Share of population living in the capital city in Latvia was 29.0% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Latvia?
- The highest recorded value was 30.9% in 1990.
- What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Latvia?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.1% in 1950.
- How does Latvia rank for share of population living in the capital city?
- Latvia ranks 39th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Latvia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latvia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.