STATISTICS: LATVIA

Latvia Official name: Latvijas Republika (Republic of Latvia). Form of government: unitary multiparty republic with a single legislative body (Parliament, or Saeima ). Chief of state: President. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: Riga. Official language: Latvian. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 lats (Ls; plural lati) = 100 santimi; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = 0.59 lats; 1 = 1.00 lats. Demography Population (1998): 2,445,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 98.0, persons per sq km 37.8. Urban-rural (1996{1}): urban 69.0%; rural 31.0%. Sex distribution (1996{1}): male 46.3%; female 53.7%. Age breakdown (1996{1}): under 15, 20.4%; 15-29, 20.3%; 30-44, 21.5%; 45-59, 18.5%; 60-74, 14.3%; 75 and over, 5.0%. Population projection: (2000) 2,394,000; (2010) 2,214,000. Ethnic composition (1996): Latvian 55.1%; Russian 32.6%; Belarusian 4.0%; Ukrainian 2.9%; Polish 2.2%; Lithuanian 1.3%; other 1.9%. Religious affiliation (1995): Christian 39.6%, of which Protestant 16.7% (of which Lutheran 14.6%), Roman Catholic 14.9%, Orthodox 8.0%; Jewish 0.6%; other (mostly nonreligious) 59.8%. Major cities (1996{1}): Riga 826,508; Daugavpils 118,530; Liepaja 98,490; Jelgava 70,957; Jurmala 59,002. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1996): 7.9 (world avg. 25.0); (1994) legitimate 73.6%; illegitimate 26.4%. Death rate per 1,000 population (1996): 13.8 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996): -5.9 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1996): 1.2. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1995): 4.4. Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1995): 3.2. Life expectancy at birth (1996): male 60.8 years; female 73.2 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1994): diseases of the circulatory system 917.0; accidents, poisoning, and violence 235.9; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 219.6; diseases of the respiratory system 52.8. National economy Budget (1995). Revenue: Ls 686,500,000 (social security contributions 34.1%, value-added taxes 32.0%, nontax revenue 13.0%, excises 7.5%, corporate income taxes 6.9%). Expenditures: Ls 756,390,000 (social security and welfare 41.3%, education 13.0%, health 6.8%, police 6.2%, defense 2.6%). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): potatoes 900,000, barley 384,000, wheat 306,000, sugar beets 245,000, vegetables and melons 232,000, fruits and berries 91,000; livestock (number of live animals) 553,000 pigs, 537,000 cattle, 72,100 sheep, 3,500,000 poultry; roundwood (1995) 6,907,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 149,719. Mining and quarrying (1996): peat 462,700; gypsum 77,226. Manufacturing (value added in U.S.$'000,000; 1994): food products 193; beverages 76; transport equipment 59; wood and wood products 56; electrical machinery 42; textiles 41; nonelectrical machinery 39. Construction (1995): new residential 219,000,000 sq m. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1995) 3,984,000,000 ( 6,258,000,000); coal (1994) none (425,000); crude petroleum, n.a. (n.a.); petroleum products (1994) none (2,516,000); natural gas (cu m; 1994) none (886,000,000). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1989) 3.1; sources of income (1994): wages and salaries 67.0%, pensions and transfers 17.4%, self-employment 5.4%, other 10.2%; expenditure (1995): food and beverages 44.2%, housing and energy 14.1%, clothing and footwear 8.1%, transport and communications 7.8%, recreation and education 6.3%. Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$298,000,000. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$5,730,000,000 (U.S.$2,300 per capita). Population economically active (1995): total 1,276,000; activity rate of total population 50.8% (participation rates: ages 15-64, n.a.; female 49.1%; unemployed 7.5%). Land use (1994): forested 44.4%; meadows and pastures 12.4; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 27.0%; other 16.2%. Foreign trade{3} Imports (1996): Ls 1,278,000,000 (mineral products 22.2%, machinery and equipment 16.8%, chemicals and chemical products 11.0%, textiles 8.0%, base metals 6.4%). Major import sources: Russia 20.2%; Germany 13.8%; Finland 9.2%; Sweden 7.9%; Lithuania 6.3%. Exports (1996): Ls 795,000,000 (forestry products 24.4%, textiles 16.9%, food and agricultural products 16.4%, machinery and apparatus 9.7%). Major export destinations: Russia 22.8%; Germany 13.8%; U.K. 11.1%; Lithuania 7.4%; Sweden 6.6%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1996): length 2,413 km; passenger-km 1,182,000,000; metric-km cargo (1996) 12,412,000,000. Roads (1993): total length 64,693 km (paved 18.2%). Vehicles (1996): passenger cars 379,895; trucks and buses 90,184. Merchant marine (1992): cargo vessels 261; total deadweight tonnage 1,436,899. Air transport (1996): passenger-km 301,500,000; metric ton-km cargo 5,201,000; airports with scheduled flights (1996) 1. Education and health Educational attainment (1988). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 0.6%; incomplete primary education 18.5%; complete primary 21.2%; secondary 46.3%; higher 13.4%. Literacy (1989): percentage of total population age 15 and over literate 99.5%. Health (1995): physicians 8,400{4} (1 per 298 persons); hospital beds 27,800 (1 per 90 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1996) 15.9. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 2,967 (vegetable products 73%, animal products 27%); 116% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): 8,100 (border guard 44.4%, army 42.0%, navy 12.1%, air force 1.5%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 0.9% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$29. {1} January 1. {2} June. {3} Imports are f.o.b. in balance of trade and c.i.f. for commodities and trading partners. {4} Includes dentists.