The Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSP) reports that at the beginning of 2023 there were 1 million 883 thousand people living in the country – 361 thousand of them or 19.2% were children under the age of 17. Since 2016 the number of children (0 – 17 years) in the country has increased by 9.1 thousand or 2.6%.
The up in the share of children was caused by the slight increase of births in 2013-2016, as well as the influx of families with children from Ukraine. 94.8% of children were born in Latvia, 2.1% were born in Ukraine, 1.2% – in the UK, and 0.3% each in Ireland and Russia.
Photo: Central Statistical Bureau’s infographicAt the beginning of 2023 the biggest number of children was in Pieriga (22.3%) and the smallest was in Latgale (16.6%). Among regions the smallest number of children was in Kraslava (13.8%) and the biggest – in Marupe (30.8%).
To set financial support for families with children, from the 1st of January 2022 onward the state support for families is paid depending on the number of children cared for in a family: EUR 25 for one child, EUR 100 for two (EUR 50 per child), EUR 225 for three children (EUR 75 per child); families with four or more children are paid EUR 100 per child.
According to information from the State Social Insurance Agency, state support for families in 2022 was paid for a total of 353 thousand children. As conditions for payment of support changed, the size of benefits per child increased accordingly
from EUR 26.68 in 2021 to EUR 79.05 in 2022.
Family state support was paid to 265 thousand or 75.1% of children under the age of 14. 88 thousand or 24.9% benefit recipients were children 15-19 years of age.
Additional information is available at CSP statistical data archive Children in Latvia. It includes compiles information about child birth rates, mortality, ages, health state, violence against children, social protection, education, information technology use, tourism and mobility.
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