Share of children in Latgale falls to record low for Latvia
The share of children among the population in Latgale has dropped to the lowest level in Latvia, at around 15 percent, with the region's depopulation already straining infrastructure and threatening the survival of local municipalities.
A record-low figure
The proportion of children in Latgale's population has fallen to the lowest level among all of Latvia's regions, with children making up only about 15 percent of residents there. Latgale Regional Television reports that this is a record-low figure by national standards.
Consequences of depopulation
The decline in the number of children and young families in the region is already putting pressure on local infrastructure — schools, kindergartens and other services whose viability depends directly on the number of children in a given municipality. Several municipalities in Latgale now find themselves in a situation where outmigration and low birth rates threaten their ability to keep functioning at their current scale. The region's depopulation is thus becoming a direct threat not only to its demographics but also to the day-to-day operation of local governments and the availability of services for residents.
Municipal efforts to change course
Local authorities in Latgale are searching for ways to stem the outflow of young people and young families from the region and to make it a more attractive place to live and raise a family. The situation is described as one requiring urgent action, since without children the region faces a further erosion of its future prospects.
Latgale's case reflects a broader trend in Latvia's regional development, in which the most remote areas suffer the most from the departure of residents — particularly young people — to bigger cities and abroad, while the national birth rate continues to decline overall. This is placing growing pressure on regions' ability to sustain their existing infrastructure and range of services in the long run.
