Where in Latvia No One Lives: Statistics Named the Most Desolate Corners of the Country

The Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) has determined where in Latvia the population density is the lowest and highest. According to CSB data, at the beginning of 2026, the least populated areas of Latvia were the Saka, Līdumnieki, Zvārdze, and Ance parishes. In all four, the population density was just one person per square kilometer. Of course, this does not mean that residents are evenly distributed across the territory. In some places, there may be small villages and individual homesteads, while significant areas may have no residential buildings at all. For comparison: on average, Latvia has 30 people living per square kilometer. Thus, the population density in the least populated parishes of the country is 30 times lower than the average figure. **And where in Latvia do people live the closest together?** At the opposite end of the ranking are Riga, Ogre, and Rēzekne — settlements with the highest population density. The capital remains the leader. At the beginning of 2026, there were 2,322 people living per square kilometer in Riga. However, compared to the beginning of 2025, this figure decreased by 32 people. In Ogre, the population density was 1,569 people per square kilometer — 17 fewer than the previous year. Rēzekne ranks third, with 1,525 people living per square kilometer. A year ago, this figure was 1,546 people. Thus, even in the most densely populated cities of Latvia, the population density is gradually decreasing. The contrast is striking: while more than 2,300 people live per square kilometer in Riga, in the least populated parishes, there is an average of just one. In other words, the population density of the capital exceeds that of the most desolate corners of the country by more than two thousand times.