Languages spoken in Latvia
Europe · Capital: Riga · Population 1.8 million
The official language of Latvia is Latvian. An estimated 61% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 1.1 million people. After Latvian, the most widely spoken are English at 46% and Russian at 38%. Latvian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Latvian is not recorded in any of Latvia's four neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Latvia, and their shares add up to 145% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.4 of them.
What languages are spoken in Latvia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| LatvianIndo-European | 61% | Official | 1.1 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 46% | Spoken | 828,575 |
| RussianIndo-European | 38% | Spoken | 684,475 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Latvia?
The official language of Latvia is Latvian. Latvian is spoken by an estimated 61% of the population, or roughly 1.1 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Latvian in Latvia?
An estimated 61% of Latvia's 1.8 million people speak Latvian, which works out at roughly 1.1 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Latvia
- Capital
- Riga
- Population
- 1.8 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 64,559 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- LV / LVA / 428
Which countries border Latvia?
Latvia shares a land border with four countries: Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, and Russia. None of them records Latvian, the most widely spoken language in Latvia, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.