Latvia
A Baltic country shaped by the Daugava River, the Baltic Sea, forests and a strategically connected position between Northern Europe and the wider Baltic region.
Latvia at a Glance
Latvia combines a compact, highly urbanised economy with extensive forest landscapes, a long Baltic coastline and a capital city that functions as a regional centre for finance, transport, culture, education and digital services.
Statistics: Latvia Central Statistical Bureau (CSB). Population figure refers to the beginning of 2026; GDP and labour figures refer to Q2 2026. citeturn2search15turn1search1turn1search5
Geography & Strategic Position
Latvia occupies a central position on the eastern Baltic Sea. Riga is the country's principal metropolitan, administrative and economic centre, while the Daugava provides a major geographical axis from the interior toward the Baltic coast.
Latvia's geography supports a combination of maritime connectivity, forestry and bioeconomy activity, agriculture, tourism and cross-border transport. Its location also places it within the core infrastructure and security geography of the Baltic region.
Landscape system
Coastal zones, lowlands, forests, rivers, lakes and protected landscapes create a diverse ecological base. Gauja National Park, Latvia's first and oldest national park, protects the Gauja valley and surrounding habitats. citeturn6search3
Research Topics
Politics & Governance
Constitutional institutions, the Saeima, executive government, public administration, rule of law and democratic resilience.
Economy & Business
Trade, manufacturing, services, logistics, entrepreneurship, productivity, investment and regional competitiveness.
Education & Science
Schools, higher education, research systems, skills, teacher capacity and international learning outcomes.
Digital Latvia
ICT, e-government, AI, cybersecurity, cloud services, data infrastructure, automation and smart-city systems.
Health & Demography
Population ageing, migration, health services, labour supply, fertility and regional demographic patterns.
Energy & Climate
Renewable electricity, biomass, energy security, climate adaptation, smart grids and resource efficiency.
Forestry & Bioeconomy
Wood processing, bio-based products, forest ecosystems, circular production and rural development.
Culture & Heritage
Riga's Art Nouveau heritage, folk culture, literature, music, architecture, museums and cultural industries.
Baltic Connectivity
Ports, rail, aviation, logistics corridors, Rail Baltica and Latvia's role in the wider Baltic transport system.
Current Government & Institutions
Andris Kulbergs
Prime Minister of Latvia
Andris Kulbergs has served as Prime Minister since 2026. The Cabinet led by Kulbergs became Latvia's 43rd Cabinet after receiving the Saeima's confidence on 28 May 2026. The government consists of the United List, New Unity, the National Alliance, and the Union of Greens and Farmers.
The government's published priorities include national security, secure elections, anti-corruption and anti-cartel measures, responsible budget management, economic growth, healthcare, welfare and demographic policy. It has also stated a defence-spending target of 5% of GDP. These are descriptions of the government's published programme, not an assessment of its performance.
President: Edgars Rinkēvičs
Parliament: Saeima
Prime Minister: Andris Kulbergs
European framework: EU, euro area
Security framework: NATO
Official government information confirms Kulbergs as Prime Minister and Rinkēvičs as President. citeturn2search0turn2search1turn1search2
Economy, Trade & Productivity
Latvia's Q2 2026 real GDP increased by 3.0% year-on-year, with wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, and information and communication services among the important contributors to value-added growth. GDP at current prices was €11.5 billion in Q2 and €21.3 billion in the first half of 2026. citeturn1search1
Manufacturing
Food, wood products, machinery, electrical equipment and other industrial activities form part of Latvia's export-oriented production base.
Logistics
Riga and the country's road, rail, port and aviation infrastructure connect Baltic markets with Northern and Central European networks.
Investment
Investment agencies highlight bioeconomy, smart energy, high-value manufacturing, ICT and defence-related technologies as active opportunity areas. citeturn2search17
Education & PISA 2025
OECD's PISA 2025 results show Latvia close to the OECD average in mathematics but below the OECD average in reading and science. Latvia's mean scores were 460 in mathematics, 430 in reading and 468 in science; computational problem solving was 507, above the OECD average of 500. citeturn0search0turn0search2
Research interpretation
The OECD reports that Latvia's 2025 average results were lower than in 2022 in all three core domains, with the largest decline in reading. The findings point to questions around foundational skills, teacher capacity, learning inequalities and digital-era learning. The data describe measured outcomes; they do not by themselves establish the causes of those changes. citeturn0search0turn0search7
Latvia Through Images
Riga and Gauja images are sourced from Unsplash pages identified as Latvia/Riga or Gauja Valley; the coastal image was photographed in Jūrmala, Latvia. citeturn4view0turn7view0turn3image0
People, Health & Demography
Population Structure
Latvia had approximately 1.845 million usual residents at the beginning of 2026. The working-age population represented 62.8% and children aged 14 or under 14.8%. citeturn2search15
Labour Market
In Q2 2026, 885.5 thousand people aged 15–74 were employed, representing 65.1% of the population in that age group; unemployment was 7.0%. citeturn1search5
Demographic Research
Fertility, ageing, migration, regional population concentration and labour supply remain important subjects for long-term policy and economic research.
Culture, History & Identity
Medieval Riga
Riga developed as a major trading centre on the Daugava and became a key city in the Baltic commercial world.
19th–Early 20th Century
Industrialisation, urban growth and the development of Riga's distinctive Art Nouveau architecture reshaped the country's cultural landscape.
1918 · Independence
Latvia proclaimed independence in 1918 and developed the institutions of an independent republic.
1940–1991 · Occupations and Soviet Rule
The history of the 20th century includes occupation, war, repression and Soviet incorporation, followed by the restoration of independence.
1991–Present
Restored independence was followed by European integration, EU and NATO membership, euro adoption and deeper Baltic and Northern European connectivity.
Research Priorities for Latvia
1 · Human Capital
Strengthen learning outcomes, STEM pathways, teacher capacity and lifelong skills.
2 · Productivity
Connect manufacturing, ICT, logistics and research more closely to high-value production.
3 · Demography
Study ageing, fertility, migration and regional population change through integrated evidence.
4 · Digital Resilience
Advance secure AI, cybersecurity, digital public services and critical infrastructure.
5 · Bioeconomy
Combine forestry, wood chemistry, biomaterials and circular production with biodiversity goals.
6 · Baltic Connectivity
Assess ports, Rail Baltica, energy networks and regional transport as long-term strategic infrastructure.
TEDRIC Research Directory
Official population, economy, labour and social statistics.
Government, ministries, policy documents and current institutional information.
Presidential institution, speeches, visits and official activities.
International economic, education, social and policy research.
Investment sectors, innovation, ICT, biomedicine, energy and manufacturing.
Official tourism and cultural information.