One-fifth of Latvia’s population were at risk of poverty in 2024 / Article

Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) data published on 29th December show that in 2024 household disposable income reached 950 euros per household member monthly – 102 euros or 12.0 % more than the year before. In the richest households, it stood at 2,084 euros and in the poorest households at 317 euros. 

Regional breakdown of the data shows the highest household disposable income in Riga, where it reached 1 135 euro per household member monthly (with 1 090 euro in the capital). Zemgale region follows with 866 euro, Kurzeme with 816 euro, and Vidzeme with 800 euro. Households in Latgale had the lowest disposable income – 673 euro per household member monthly. 

 

From an employment and education perspective, the highest income was recorded in households where the main breadwinner had attained higher education, reaching 1 213 euro per household member monthly in 2024. In households where the main breadwinner was an employee, income amounted to 1 067 euro. Single inhabitants of working age (aged 64 and under) also had relatively high income – 1 256 euro monthly. 

 

The lowest monthly income per household member was observed in households with an unemployed main breadwinner – 435 euro. Low income was also recorded in households where a pension was the main source of income – 625 euro per household member monthly, and in households where the main breadwinner had completed basic education or lower – 654 euro.

In 2024, monthly income per household member in the poorest households (belonging to the first income quintile group 2) amounted to 317 euro while in the richest households (fifth group) to 2 084 euro. Thus, income of the richest population exceeded that of the poorest population 6.7 times (6.3 times in 2023). In the average income level households, the income varied between 569 euro (in the second group) and 1 094 euro (in the fourth group).

As disposable income of the population grew last year, the at-risk-of-poverty threshold rose as well and reached 699 euro monthly in one-person households (641 euro in 2023) and 1 468 euro in households consisting of two adults with two children aged 14 and under (1 346 euro in 2023).

Last year, 404 thousand people, or 22.0 % of the total population of Latvia, were at risk of poverty, meaning that their disposable income was below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold set at 699 euro per household member monthly (in 2023 those were 21.6 %).

Tell us about a mistake