Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Latvia: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MBB, ranked #53 of 195).
Latvia is a parliamentary republic in Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania. The country's capital is Riga; it covers 64,589 sq km. Independence: 18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia); 4 May 1990 (declared from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union). Terrain: low plain. Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters. Population: 1.9 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +1.27% per year. Median age: 43.8 years. Life expectancy: 76.4 years (2024 est.). Languages: Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4% (2011 est.) Religions: Lutheran 36.2%, Roman Catholic …
| Capital | Riga |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,888,439 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $72.516 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $38,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -0.4% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 1.3% |
| Unemployment | 6.8% |
| Public debt | 36.3% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $28.117 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $29.234 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 76.4 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 43.8 |
| Urbanization | 68.7% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Independence | 18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia); 4 May 1990 (declared from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union) |
| Languages | Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4% (2011 est.) |
MBB · 56/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter passed without decisive turns. Governance continued, markets functioned, and the score reflects that uneventfulness.
For countries like this, the real story is always the slow one — and this quarter added no new chapter to it.
Hydropower, Timber.
Andris Kulbergs — Prime Minister. President Edgars RINKEVICS (since 8 July 2023)
Latvia maintains 38 embassies and 1 consulates abroad, hosts 38 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, NATO Brussels, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 38 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 1 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 38 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, UN Geneva, EU Brussels, NATO Brussels, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg |
Source: Abroad: Lowy GDI 2024 via Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_diplomatic_missions . Hosted: Consular Affairs Center in-country ranking, Jan 2026 (Riga 38). Multilateral rosters as for AUT.
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 498 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 55 + 5 heliports (registration prefix YL) |
| Major seaports | Lielupe, Liepaja, Riga, Salacgriva, Ventspils |
| Railways | 2216 km |
Liepāja International Airport (LPX) — Liepāja; Riga International Airport (RIX) — Riga.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MBB · 56 Ranked #53 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Latvia.
