Latvia: Central bank, Finance Ministry lower GDP forecasts

Latvia’s central bank and the country’s Finance Ministry have both lowered their GDP growth forecasts and raised their inflation forecasts. Latvia’s GDP growth will drop to 2.0% in 2026, before rising to 2.4% in 2027 and 3.0% in 2028, according to the Bank of Latvia’s latest macroeconomic projection. In December 2025, the central bank had projected GDP growth of 2.8% in 2026, 2.9% in 2027, and 3.2% in 2028. Annual inflation will amount to 3.6% (3.2%) in 2026, to 3.8% (2.9%) in 2027, and to (3.6%) 3.4% in 2028. Unemployment will drop to 6.7% (6.6%) in 2026, to 6.5% (6.4%) in 2027, and to 6.3% (6.2%) in 2028. Nominal gross wages will rise by 7.4% (7.6%) in 2026, by 7.3% (7.6%) in 2027, and by 7.5% (7.9%) in 2028. The government’s budget deficit will reach 3.3% (3.5%) of GDP in 2026, rising to 3.9% (3.5%) in 2027 and 4.8% (3.1%) in 2028, the central bank projects.

Meanwhile, Latvia’s Finance Ministry now expects the country’s GDP to grow by 2.0% in both 2026 and 2027 before rising to 2.5% in 2028, LSM reports. In February 2026, the ministry had forecast that GDP growth would amount to 2.6% in 2026, to 2.7% in 2027, and to 2.5% in 2028. Annual inflation will reach 3.6% (2.9%) in 2026, before dropping to 3.3% (2.6%) in 2027 and 2.3% in 2028, the Finance Ministry projects. Latvia’s unemployment rate will amount to 6.6% in 2026, and the ministry expects a further decline in the subsequent years. The country’s average monthly gross wage will increase by 5.5% in 2026, and the ministry expects a similar rate of wage growth in the medium term. The general government budget deficit will amount to 2.9% of GDP in 2026, to 4.2% in 2027, to 5.4% in 2028, to 4.3% in 2029, and to 3.5% in 2030, according to the Finance Ministry’s new forecast.