Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south.
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Latvia · 1960–2025
Population data from World Bank (2025), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Series covers 1960–2025.
Riga, officially Riga State City, is the capital, primate, and largest city of Latvia and the second largest in the Baltics. Home to 588,911 inhabitants, the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga metropolitan area, which stretches beyond the city limits, is estimated at 847,162.
Daugavpils is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region of Latgale, and those to the south lie in Selonia.
Jelgava is a state city in central Latvia. It is located about 41 kilometres southwest of Riga. It is the largest town in the Semigallia region of Latvia. Jelgava was the capital of the united Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1578–1795) and was the administrative center of the Courland Governorate (1795–1918).
Jūrmala is a state city in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, about 25 kilometres west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching 32 km and is sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. It has a 33 km stretch of white-sand beach and is the fifth-largest city in Latvia.
Jēkabpils is a state city in Jēkabpils Municipality in southeastern Latvia, located roughly halfway between the capital Riga and Daugavpils, and spanning the Daugava River. It is a state city, and is the seat of Jēkabpils Municipality. The name of the city literally translates into "Castle of Jacob".
Ventspils is a state city in northwestern Latvia in the historical Courland region of Latvia, and is the sixth largest city in the country.
Rēzekne is a state city in the Rēzekne River valley in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. It is called The Heart of Latgale. Built on seven hills, Rēzekne is situated 242 kilometres east of Riga, and 63 kilometres west of the Latvian-Russian border, at the intersection of the Moscow – Ventspils railway and Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railways. It is the 7th largest city in Latvia.
Valmiera is the second largest city of the historical Vidzeme region, Latvia, with a total area of 19.35 square kilometres. As of 2002, Valmiera had a population of 27,323, and in 2020, it was at 24,879. It is a state city, and is the seat of the Valmiera Municipality. Valmiera is one of the oldest cities in Latvia; it was a member of the Hanseatic League.