Number of births kept falling in 2024

RIGA - According to the Central Statistical Bureau's provisional data, birth numbers kept declining in 2024 - 12,571 children were born in Latvia, which is 1,919 children or 13.2 percent fewer than in 2023.

The number of births was under 1,000 in all three closing months of the year. In October it was 994, in November 940, and in December 921. Moreover, each month of 2024 had the smallest number of births in the past hundred years.

Last year, 26 341 deaths were registered, which is 6 percent (1,690 deaths) fewer than in 2023. The largest year-on-year reduction was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024 (9 percent). The smallest number of deaths was registered in September (1,956) and the greatest in January (2,702).

The number of deaths has been at least twice as high as the number of births for the last four years. In 2024 the gap made up 13,770, and the largest gap (17,180) was registered in 2021. Natural population change in Latvia has been negative since 1990.

Due to the negative natural population change population has declined by 9,800 in 2024. On January 1, 2025 Latvia provisionally had a population of 1,853,000.

In 2024, 10,390 marriages were registered, which is 1.5 percent (159 marriages) fewer than in 2023. The number of concluded marriages increased slightly after 2020, however for the last two years it has been reducing. Last year, 312 marriages fewer were concluded than in 2020 when due to the pandemic gatherings were restricted.