01
Physical geography
Low plain.
Local timeRiga ·
Europe / Northern Europe · Card 028
Latvia
Latvia is a country in Northern Europe. Its capital is Riga.
Find Latvia
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Riga
- Languages
- Latvian
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Population
- 1.8 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 64,559 km²24,926.36 square miles
- Independence
- 1918 / 1991First declared in 1918; restored in 1991.
Latvia in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Riga; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Latvian.
03
Location
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania.
Flag
Three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon
History & independence
Latvia declared independence in 1918 and fought a war to secure it. Soviet occupation in 1940 was followed by Nazi occupation and renewed Soviet rule. The restoration of independence was completed in 1991.
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Latvia declares independence
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Independence is restored
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Latvia joins the EU and NATO
Economy
Main activities
Services, logistics, manufacturing and forestry are important. Wood products, food processing and transport services contribute to trade. Latvia is an EU member and uses the euro.
Industry and production
processed foods, processed wood products, textiles, processed metals, pharmaceuticals, railroad cars, synthetic fibers, electronics
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people1.82025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,359,164 | 2.359 |
| 1980 | 2,511,701 | 2.512 |
| 1990 | 2,663,151 | 2.663 |
| 2000 | 2,367,550 | 2.368 |
| 2010 | 2,097,555 | 2.098 |
| 2020 | 1,900,449 | 1.900 |
| 2025 | 1,847,785 | 1.848 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars31.22025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 20,300,397,396 | 20.300 |
| 1991 | 17,743,517,231 | 17.744 |
| 1992 | 12,044,553,173 | 12.045 |
| 1993 | 11,444,375,654 | 11.444 |
| 1994 | 11,694,997,019 | 11.695 |
| 1995 | 11,584,507,030 | 11.585 |
| 1996 | 11,850,946,178 | 11.851 |
| 1997 | 12,937,852,903 | 12.938 |
| 1998 | 13,785,282,610 | 13.785 |
| 1999 | 14,173,807,644 | 14.174 |
| 2000 | 15,001,703,494 | 15.002 |
| 2001 | 15,970,900,289 | 15.971 |
| 2002 | 17,195,147,700 | 17.195 |
| 2003 | 18,644,549,496 | 18.645 |
| 2004 | 20,271,313,179 | 20.271 |
| 2005 | 22,625,890,638 | 22.626 |
| 2006 | 25,527,665,150 | 25.528 |
| 2007 | 28,186,253,354 | 28.186 |
| 2008 | 27,231,101,091 | 27.231 |
| 2009 | 22,863,227,157 | 22.863 |
| 2010 | 22,026,145,288 | 22.026 |
| 2011 | 22,694,935,011 | 22.695 |
| 2012 | 24,352,854,611 | 24.353 |
| 2013 | 24,863,312,430 | 24.863 |
| 2014 | 25,384,188,823 | 25.384 |
| 2015 | 26,344,565,877 | 26.345 |
| 2016 | 27,016,796,481 | 27.017 |
| 2017 | 27,935,083,541 | 27.935 |
| 2018 | 29,139,005,430 | 29.139 |
| 2019 | 29,335,802,339 | 29.336 |
| 2020 | 28,318,076,614 | 28.318 |
| 2021 | 30,284,070,900 | 30.284 |
| 2022 | 30,862,052,748 | 30.862 |
| 2023 | 30,571,453,786 | 30.571 |
| 2024 | 30,560,125,331 | 30.560 |
| 2025 | 31,213,460,641 | 31.213 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.889Very High human developmentRank 41 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.736
20000.764
20100.833
20200.879
20230.889
76.2 yearsLife expectancy at birth
13.4 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic. Parliament (Saeima) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Latvia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Latvia?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.