Latvia Registers 8,652 Births in Nine Months, 5% Fewer Than a Year Earlier

Latvia registered 8,652 births in the first nine months of 2026, which is 5%, or 456 babies, fewer than in the same period of 2025. The figures come from preliminary data released by the Central Statistical Bureau, the country's official statistics agency. They illustrate trends in births, deaths and marriages in a country where deaths continue to outnumber births.

Births

Of all newborns registered, 4,456 were boys, a decline of 6.4%, or 305. Girls numbered 4,196, which is 3.5%, or 151, fewer than a year earlier.

In September, more than 1,000 births were registered for the third month in a row: 1,004 in total, including 514 boys and 490 girls. Even so, that figure is 6.4%, or 69, lower than in September 2025.

Deaths and marriages

Latvia registered 19,111 deaths in the nine months, which is 1.6%, or 310, fewer than last year, when 19,421 deaths were recorded over the same span.

This year, deaths exceeded births by 10,459. In the same period last year, the gap was 10,313.

The number of marriages has also fallen: 8,136 were registered in the first nine months of this year, which is 5.9%, or 506, fewer than in the corresponding period of 2025.

Population

According to preliminary figures, Latvia's population stood at 1.829 million on 1 October 2026.