Ķekava municipality among Latvia's leaders in share of children

New figures from Latvia's Central Statistical Bureau show that at the start of 2026, children up to age 17 account for 24.4% of the population in Ķekava municipality — nearly one in four residents. Only Mārupe and Ādaži municipalities have higher shares. By comparison, children make up 18.1% of Latvia's population on average, and the country's overall number of children fell by about 9,200, or 2.7%, over the past year.

Ķekava municipal council chairwoman Viktorija Baire said the high proportion of children is both encouraging and a responsibility, requiring the municipality to provide a safe environment for children to grow and develop, from preschool through quality education, sports, culture and leisure opportunities. One of the priorities for 2026 is developing education and sports infrastructure — sports grounds are underway near the "Bitīte" preschool in Katlakalns and at Daugmale primary school, and construction is planned to begin this year on a stadium and sports hall for Ķekava secondary school.

Schools and preschools

In the coming school year, 1,665 children will attend municipal preschools, 419 of them enrolled for the first time. The municipality also supports childcare through an EU co-funded project and subsidies for childminders.

This year, 405 children will start first grade across five schools: Ķekava, Baloži and Baldone secondary schools, Pļavniekkalns primary school and Daugmale primary school. That is 80 fewer than last year's 485 first-graders — the first year with such a decline, according to the education department.

Extracurricular education

Across Latvia, 165,600 pupils are enrolled in extracurricular education programmes this school year, up 3.3% from the previous year, with interest in STEM subjects growing fastest. In Ķekava municipality, children can choose from five specialized schools offering music, art and sports education, plus various clubs at schools and cultural centres. The municipality has also approved a youth policy strategy through 2031 aimed at boosting youth participation and employment.