Fact Check: Claims that Latvia's population is below one million are false

Claims that Latvia's population has fallen below one million have been circulating in pro-Kremlin propaganda channels. Former MEP Andrejs Mamikins, who fled to Belarus, stated in a broadcast that mobile operators told him there are only 900,000 active SIM cards, implying the real population is less than a million. Pro-Kremlin activist Yuri Alekseev added that even children own phones.

Official data contradict these claims. The Central Statistical Bureau (CSP) reported 1,857,000 residents at the start of 2025. Although the population is declining – by 18,400 (1%) in 2024 – the drop is much slower than propagandists suggest. CSP uses a new methodology based on administrative data and 'signs of life,' combining registers from healthcare, education, and other systems.

According to the Public Utilities Commission (SPRK), at the end of 2025 there were 2,202,596 mobile voice connections (SIM cards). Of these, 80.5% belonged to individuals and 19.5% to legal entities. This number is far higher than Mamikins' 900,000.

Voter lists also provide evidence. The 2022 Saeima elections had 1,542,407 registered voters, and the 2025 municipal elections had 1,377,183. Since only adult citizens can vote, including children and non-citizens pushes the total well above one million.

Bank of Latvia data show 2.3 million payment cards for individuals and 3.2 million transaction accounts – about 1.2 cards and 1.7 accounts per resident. Meanwhile, the National Health Service reported 1,960,230 patients registered with family doctors as of March 2026.

All these independent sources – CSP, SPRK, voter rolls, banking data, and healthcare records – indicate a population between 1.8 and 2 million, decisively disproving the propaganda claim of 900,000 residents.