Like in other regions of the country, a significant part of the family budget for residents of Latgale was spent on food and non-alcoholic beverages. They accounted for **29.8% of all consumer spending, or 132.81 euros per month per person.** Housing expenses made up 16.1% of the family budget, or 71.88 euros per person per month. Transportation accounted for 12.7% of expenses — 56.58 euros. For leisure, sports, and culture, residents of Latgale spent 6.7% of their budget, or 29.67 euros per person per month. Restaurants and accommodation services accounted for 3.4% of expenses — an average of 15.31 euros per person monthly. ## Latgale consumes the most milk Statistical data shows that the food basket of residents of Latgale differs significantly from the national averages. In the region, the consumption of several traditional staple foods is particularly high. In particular, **Latgale ranks first in Latvia for milk consumption.** On average, one household member drinks 42 liters of milk per year. This is 8.7 liters more than in Riga and 6.2 liters above the national average. Above the national average in Latgale is also the consumption of fresh pork. Last year, one household member consumed an average of **17 kilograms of fresh pork**, while the average for Latvia was 13.2 kilograms. Residents of Latgale also eat more bread. On average, one person consumed 29.6 kilograms of bread per year compared to 26.6 kilograms on average across the country. ## More sausage and flour The consumption of sausage products was also relatively high. In Latgale, one person consumed an average of **13.3 kilograms of sausage**, while the average for Latvia was 10.6 kilograms. Residents of the region consumed 5.8 kilograms of wheat flour per person compared to 4.5 kilograms on average across the country. The Central Statistical Bureau concludes that the increased consumption of food in Latgale is primarily concentrated in the groups of bread and cereal products, pork, and certain types of processed meat.  ## Freshwater fish consumption is almost three times higher Another notable difference in Latgale is the significantly higher consumption of freshwater fish. Last year, residents of the region consumed an average of **2.7 kilograms of freshwater fish per household member**, while the average for Latvia was only one kilogram. The consumption of cod family fish in Latgale was also the highest among all regions of the country. One person consumed about 540 grams of such fish per year. In comparison, the average consumption of cod in Latvia was about 300 grams per person. At the same time, the situation with salmon is the opposite. In Latgale, the consumption is only **0.6 kilograms per person**, while the national average is 1.4 kilograms. The CSP notes that such figures may indicate differences in residents' preferences when choosing types of fish, rather than that people in Latgale eat significantly more or less fish products overall. ## More pork, less beef The differences between Latgale and the rest of Latvia are also evident in the consumption of various types of meat. Residents of Latgale consume more fresh pork, sausages, canned meat, and other types of dried, salted, or smoked meat than the national average. At the same time, the consumption of fresh beef is significantly lower. In Latgale, one household member consumed **0.5 kilograms of fresh beef**, while the average for Latvia was 1.2 kilograms. Residents of the region also consume slightly less poultry — 9.8 kilograms per person compared to 10.7 kilograms on average across the country. The consumption of offal and pork cuts was also below average — 5.4 kilograms compared to 6.4 kilograms on average in Latvia. ## Less rice and dry breakfasts There are also other products whose consumption in Latgale last year was below the national average. For example, rice consumption here was an average of **1.5 kilograms per person**, while the average for Latvia was 1.8 kilograms. The consumption of dry breakfasts was 2.1 kilograms compared to 2.6 kilograms on average across the country. Residents of Latgale also ate slightly less pasta — 3.5 kilograms per person compared to 3.7 kilograms on average in Latvia. ## 446 euros versus 619 euros In comparison, the average consumer spending of households in Latvia last year was **619 euros per month per household member**. At the same time, on average across the country, 24% of all expenses were spent on food, 16% on housing and utilities, and 12% on transportation. Thus, consumer spending per person in Latgale is significantly lower than the average level in Latvia — **446 euros compared to 619 euros per month**. At the same time, the share of the family budget that residents of the region spend on food and non-alcoholic beverages is noticeably higher: **29.8% compared to 24% on average across the country**.
