Latvia Population Pyramid (2026)

Latvia has a population of 1,835,934 in 2026, according to the UN World Population Prospects 2024 (projection for 1 July). That is the 148th-largest population in the world and 0.02% of the global total of 8.30 billion. Children under 15 make up 15.0% of the population and people aged 65 and over 22.7%, with 86.8 males for every 100 females.

Total Population
1,835,934
Median Age
43.8 years
Pyramid Type
constrictive
DTM Stage
Stage 5
Latvia population pyramid, a UN projection for 1 July 2026: 1,835,934 people, median age 43.8, 15.0% under 15 and 22.7% aged 65 or older.
A UN projection for 1 July 2026 from World Population Prospects 2024; UN estimates end in 2023. Download SVG — free to reuse with credit to populationpyramids.org.
Show the numbers
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalShare
100+482422900.02%
95-996372,5263,1630.17%
90-942,96211,03814,0000.76%
85-899,78830,61840,4062.20%
80-8415,27239,57454,8462.99%
75-7926,40253,40779,8094.35%
70-7437,02262,22199,2435.41%
65-6951,69272,494124,1866.76%
60-6455,52269,424124,9466.81%
55-5957,83266,735124,5676.78%
50-5461,32766,023127,3506.94%
45-4959,83561,353121,1886.60%
40-4467,87265,557133,4297.27%
35-3969,37565,584134,9597.35%
30-3453,04649,354102,4005.58%
25-2942,85140,07582,9264.52%
20-2446,78344,31891,1014.96%
15-1952,20349,642101,8455.55%
10-1454,77751,082105,8595.77%
5-950,12846,64696,7745.27%
0-437,47835,17072,6483.96%
Total852,851983,0831,835,934100.00%
Female surplus 130,232 (7.1% of the population).

Latvia Demographics

Latvia has 1.8 million people in 2026, down 22.1% from 2.4 million in 1970.

Deaths outnumber births by 13,917 (UN projection for 2026).

65+ share 22.7% — the 14th-highest of 194 countries.

Median age 43.8 — the 20th-highest of 194 countries.

Largest generation: Baby Boomers — 21.7% (398,230)

All generations in Latvia →

Population pyramid, 1950 to 2026

Watch how Latvia's population structure evolved from 1950 to 2026

1950
Population: 1,918,719
Median Age: 29.2 years
195019502026
Animation speed: 0.5 seconds per year • Drag slider or click years to explore manually
Page Navigation(Quick jump to sections)

Sex Ratio & Gender Distribution

Latvia has 86.8 males per 100 females (sex ratio)

Women outnumber men by 130,232 (7.1% of the population).

Male Statistics

  • Population:852,851
  • Percentage:46.5%

Female Statistics

  • Population:983,083
  • Percentage:53.5%

Birth Statistics & Natality Data

UN World Population Prospects 2024, 2026 (medium-variant projection).

7.3
births per 1,000 people
1.35
children per woman (TFR)
13,328
births in 2026

How many births, and how often (2026)

In Latvia there is about one birth every 39.4 minutes.

Monthly1,111
Weekly256
Per day37
Per hour1.5

Birth-rate and fertility trend, 1950 to 2026

Crude birth rate · total fertility rate (dashed)
19501970199020102026CBR /1,000TFR

Birth statistics, 2021 to 2026

YearBirthsBirth rate
(per 1,000)
TFR
(children/woman)
Type
202117,4719.31.57estimate
202215,9078.51.47estimate
202314,2507.61.34estimate
202414,0177.51.34projection
202513,7067.41.35projection
202613,3287.31.35projection

Since 1950

Highest birth rate17.2 per 1,000 (1950)
Decline from peak rate−57.6%
Most births41,179 (1987)

Global context (2026)

World daily births363,023
Share of global births<0.1%
World average birth rate16.0 per 1,000
Relative to world average0.5×

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024. Births, birth rate and fertility for 2024 and later are medium-variant projections; 1950–2023 are estimates.

Median Age Analysis

Latvia's median age is 43.8 years

Half the population is younger than 43.8 years and half is older, which makes Latvia a middle-aged society.

Current Median Age
43.8
years (2026)
World Average
31.1
12.7 years older
Generation at the median age
Millennials

Complete Age Distribution & Youth Demographics

Youth (0-14)
15.0%
275,281
Under 25
25.5%
468,227
Working Age
62.4%
1,144,710
Elderly (65+)
22.7%
415,943
Age GroupPopulation%Category
0-472,6484.0%Youth
5-996,7745.3%Youth
10-14105,8595.8%Youth
15-19101,8455.5%Young Adult
20-2491,1015.0%Young Adult
25-2982,9264.5%Working Age
30-34102,4005.6%Working Age
35-39134,9597.4%Working Age
40-44133,4297.3%Working Age
45-49121,1886.6%Working Age
50-54127,3506.9%Working Age
55-59124,5676.8%Working Age
60-64124,9466.8%Working Age
65-69124,1866.8%Senior
70-7499,2435.4%Senior
75-7979,8094.3%Senior
80-8454,8463.0%Senior
85-8940,4062.2%Senior
90-9414,0000.8%Senior
95-993,1630.2%Senior
100+2900.0%Senior

Demographic Transition Model (DTM) Stage

Stage 5 (natural decrease): deaths outnumber births — 7.3 births and 14.8 deaths per 1,000 people in 2026. Read more about Stage 5 of the Demographic Transition Model.

Fertility Rate & Birth Statistics

Latvia Total Fertility Rate: 1.35 children per woman

Below the replacement level of 2.1

Total Fertility Rate
1.35
children per woman
Crude Birth Rate
7.3
per 1,000 people
Replacement Level
2.1
children per woman
Global Rank
170
of 194 (1 = highest)

Fertility Rate Trends

Historical data (solid line) and future projections (dashed line)

Highest TFR since 1950
2.18
1987
Current TFR
1.35
2026
Projected 2050
1.44
UN projection

Historical Fertility Trends

YearTotal Fertility RateBirth RateChange
20211.579.3
20221.478.5↓0.10
20231.347.6↓0.13
20241.347.50.00
20251.357.4↑0.01
20261.357.30.00

Global Context

  • • World Average: 2.23 children per woman
  • • Comparison: Below global average
  • • UN projection for 2030: 1.37

Latvia's total fertility rate is 1.35 children per woman in 2026, below the replacement level of 2.1. Latvia ranks 170 of 194 for fertility rate (1 = highest), in the lowest third of countries. The fertility rate has changed by −35.1% since 1950.

Historical Demographic Changes

Between 1950 and 2026, Latvia's population fell by 4.3%.

The median age rose from 29.2 in 1950 to 43.8 in 2026.

Understanding Latvia's Demographics

Latvia has a constrictive population pyramid — a base narrower than the middle, so younger cohorts are smaller than the ones above them.

Children under 15 make up 15.0% of the population and people aged 65 and over 22.7%.

The largest five-year age band is 35–39, at 7.4% of the population, compared with 4.0% in the 0–4 band.

Demographic Analysis: Latvia's Population Structure

Demographic Dividend Window

Latvia's working-age share peaked in 2006 at 68.4% and is 62.4% in 2026.

Fertility Transition Stage

Latvia's total fertility rate is 1.35 children per woman (2026, UN WPP 2024), below replacement.

Population Aging Speed

Latvia's median age changed by +1.8 years from 2016 to 2026, slower than the world average (+2.6 years).

Key Demographics

Total Population1,835,934
Male Population852,851(46.5%)
Female Population983,083(53.5%)
Median Age43.8 years
Sex Ratio86.8 males per 100 females
Youth (0-14)275,281(15.0%)
Working Age (15-64)1,144,710(62.4%)
Elderly (65+)415,943(22.7%)
Total Dependency Ratio60.4
Youth Dependency Ratio24.0
Old Age Dependency Ratio36.3
Pyramid TypeConstrictive

Dependency Ratios: Number of dependents per 100 working-age individuals.

Demographic Data Visualizations

Total population, 1950–2026 (UN WPP 2024; 2024 onward are projections).

Median age, 1950–2026 (UN WPP 2024; 2024 onward are projections).

Youth, working-age and elderly shares, 1950 vs 2026 (UN WPP 2024).

Age distribution in 2026: youth, working-age and elderly shares (UN WPP 2024; projection).

Life Expectancy in Latvia

How long the average person in Latvia is expected to live · sourced from UN WPP 2024

Source: UN WPP 2024 medium-variant projection (2026)
Life expectancy 2026 (UN projection)
76.6
years · world rank #74 of 194
vs world avg
+2.8
world: 73.8 yrs
Men
72.1
world avg: 71.2 yrs
Women
80.9
world avg: 76.4 yrs
Gender gap: +8.8 years
Women live 8.8 yrs longer than men
Men 72.1 yrs · Women 80.9 yrs
Since 1950: +12.0 years
From 64.6 yrs (1950) → 76.6 yrs (2026)

Life expectancy, 1950 to 2100: UN estimates to 2023, projection from 2024

Solid: actual · Dashed: medium-variant projection
60657075808590195019701990201020242050210064.6 (1950)76.2 (2023)86.6 (2100, proj.)
1950 baseline
64.6 yrs
2026 today
76.6 yrs
+ gained 1950–2026
+12.0 yrs
2050 (UN proj.)
80.2 yrs
Looking ahead
The UN's medium-variant projection reaches 80.2 years by 2050 (+3.6 yrs), and 86.6 by 2100.
Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024. Life expectancy at birth, mid-year estimates. Medium-variant projections to 2100.
See full world ranking →

Future Demographic Trends

Latvia is projected to shrink to 1.5 million people by 2050 (−17.5% from 2026).

The median age rises from 43.8 in 2026 to 47.9 by 2050.

Latvia's Demographic Evolution by Decade

In the 2020s, 2024 to 2026 are UN projections.

2.4M
Start Population
2.5M
End Population
33.2
Start Median Age
33.9
End Median Age

The population grew 6.5%, from 2.4 million in 1970 to 2.5 million by 1980

The median age increased by 0.7 years

The youth population share contracted by 1.1 percentage points

Meanwhile, the elderly population proportion grew by 0.9 percentage points.

Key Demographic Highlights

  • • Population changed from 2.4M to 2.5M
  • • Growth rate of 6.5% over the decade
  • • Median age shifted from 33.2 to 33.9 years (+0.7y)
  • • 65+ share changed by +0.9 points; under-15 share by −1.1 points

How Does Latvia Compare to Its Neighbors?

Latvia has an older population than Estonia, Lithuania, Russia. Latvia has a smaller population than Lithuania, Russia.

CountryPopulationMedian AgeYouth %Elderly %Pyramid Type
Latvia (Current)1,835,93443.815.0%22.7%constrictive
Estonia1,331,06243.214.9%22.3%constrictive
Lithuania2,797,33842.614.3%21.3%constrictive
Russia143,394,45840.716.7%18.4%constrictive

Frequently Asked Questions About Latvia

How does Latvia rank globally by population?

Latvia ranks 148th in the world by population with 1.84 million people as of 2026, representing 0.02% of the global total of 8.30 billion.

comparison

What does Latvia's age structure reveal about its development?

Latvia's age structure — 15.0% under 15, 62.4% working-age (15–64) and 22.7% aged 65+ — is that of a country in Stage 5 of the demographic transition, with a constrictive population pyramid. The median age is 43.8 years.

age

What is the dependency ratio in Latvia?

Latvia has 60.4 people under 15 or aged 65+ per 100 people aged 15–64 in 2026.

economic

Is Latvia experiencing a demographic dividend?

Latvia has moved past its demographic-dividend window. Latvia's working-age share peaked in 2006 at 68.4% and is 62.4% in 2026. The demographic dividend occurs when falling fertility creates a bulge in the working-age population while dependency ratios stay manageable.

economic

What are the gender dynamics in Latvia's population?

Latvia has more females than males, with 86.8 males per 100 females.

social

Compare with Other Countries

About this data: UN World Population Prospects 2024, released 11 July 2024. Figures for 2024 and later are medium-variant projections for 1 July. The UN has postponed its next revision from 2026 to 2027 (UN document E/CN.9/2026/CRP.1); these pages will be updated when it is published.

Data Sources & Methodology

All population data is sourced from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. The data represents UN medium-variant projections.

Cite this page: Population Pyramids. (2026). Latvia Population Pyramid and Demographic Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.populationpyramids.org/latvia

View UN World Population Prospects Data →