Latvia's death toll far outpaces births in first half of 2026
In the first six months of 2026, Latvia recorded 13,384 deaths against 5,547 births, widening the gap between deaths and births to 7,837 compared with the same period last year.
During the first half of 2026, Latvia registered 5,547 newborns — 2,827 boys and 2,720 girls. Compared with the same period in 2025, the number of newborn boys fell by 206, or 6.8%, while the number of girls dropped by 56, or 2%.
In June alone, 958 births were recorded, down 46, or 4.6%, from June 2025. Of these, 504 were boys and 454 were girls.
Deaths keep rising
At the same time, 13,384 deaths were registered in Latvia over the first six months of the year — an increase of 142, or 1.1%, compared with 13,242 deaths recorded in the same period of 2025.
As a result, the number of deaths exceeded the number of births by 7,837 in the first half of this year, compared with a gap of 7,433 in the corresponding period last year.
Fewer marriages
The number of registered marriages also declined, with 3,733 marriages recorded in the first six months — 364, or 8.9%, fewer than in the same period of 2025.
As of July 1 this year, Latvia's provisional population stood at 1.832 million, according to data compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau.
