2. Business environment

The total population of Latgale at the beginning of 2019 was 260,226 people, which is approximately 13.55% of Latvians. 

Around 160,134 people or 61.5% of the region’s population are at the working-age, which is in line with the countries average.

Latgale has the highest unemployment rates in the country reaching 14.7% at the beginning of 2019. This is especially true for rural areas because in the cities unemployment is significantly lower: 7.4% in Daugavpils and 9.2% in Rezekne.

The region has the lowest wages in the country amounting to around 70% of Latvia’s average. In 2018, the average wage in Latgale was 701 EUR per month.

Ethnic composition of residents: Latvians 46%, Russians 36.4%, Poles 6.4%, other nationalities 11.2%. The composition varies widely between cities and counties.

Unemployment rate

Average wage