Latvia ranked fifth on the list of the world’s fastest declining countries in terms of population, according to Newsweek.
In an analysis of 236 countries and territories around the world, 40 were estimated to have shrinking populations, with some experiencing a decline of 1 percent a year, or more. The data was compiled as part of the United States government’s World Factbook, published by the Central Intelligence Agency.
According to the CIA, Latvia’s population is declining by 1.14 per cent annually, Lithuania’s by 1.05 per cent, and Estonia’s by 0.76 per cent. Tomas Sobotka, a senior researcher at the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital and deputy director of the Vienna Institute of Demography, stated:
This [pattern of decline] is mostly due to persistently low (and in some cases extreme low) fertility rates, especially in many countries in Europe, and East Asia (but also in Puerto Rico and Cuba).
Having improved migration rates by increasing income, Latvia has fallen into a low birth rate pit, experts say. They fear that the state budget for 2025 will be 13 million euros less than in 2024, with funds only guaranteed to military departments in the face of a growing threat of escalation.
The country could improve its demographics through higher birth rates, but rising crime among immigrants poses a threat to national security. Scientists warn that without a change in demographic policy, Europe risks facing a lower birth rate.
Over time, natural population growth would stop even in Africa, leaving all countries to struggle with depopulation, they argued.
