The number of passengers using train transport in Latvia totalled 8,989,953 in the first half of 2024, which was 767,317 (9.3%) more than in the same period of 2023, according to the country’s state-owned passenger train operator, Pasazieru Vilciens (Vivi), LSM reported. Electric trains on suburban routes carried 8,024,544 passengers, which was 89% of the…
A public petition in Latvia is collecting signatures for a ban on the Chinese social media network, TikTok, LSM reports. The author of the initiative, Arturs Babuskins, stated that the social media application was used to “glorify Russian crimes, incite hatred, and divide society.” Moreover, the petition cites data security concerns. Public petitions need at…
Life expectancy in Latvia has increased by 22.4 years over 100 years, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Average life expectancy at birth rose from 53.1 years in 1924 to 75.5 years in 2023. Female life expectancy rose by 24 years from 56.4 to 80.4 years and male life expectancy…
The shadow economy accounts for up to 90% of the car service sector in Latvia, which has completely distorted competition, Andris Kulbergs, board chairman of the Latvian Automotive Association (Auto Asociacija), told LETA. The total turnover of the shadow economy in the sector amounts to almost EUR 200mn per year, the association estimates. The state…
The Latvian government has approved an updated national energy and climate plan, aimed at meeting the EU’s climate targets by 2030, LSM reports. The plan outlines five key areas: decarbonisation and renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy security, integration with the EU’s internal energy markets, and research, innovation, and competitiveness. The plan includes around 250 measures…
Latvian MEP Vilis Kristopans of the opposition Latvia First (LPV) party will join the far-right Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, LETA reports. The group includes many members who are sympathetic towards Russia. Kristopans expects that the number of members in the group will continue to grow. Kristopans served as prime minister of…
Latvia’s Riga International Airport (RIX) served 3.2mn passengers in the first half of 2024, which was 4% more than in the same period of 2023, LSM reports. The number of passengers now exceeds the pre-pandemic indicators. RIX accounted for 40% of the total number of passengers and 38% of flights served at all Baltic airports…
The volume of transit shipments of cereal products from Russia via Latvia totalled 994,726 tonnes in the first half of 2024, which was up 39.3% from 714,097 tonnes in the same period of 2023, according to data from the State Revenue Service (VID), LETA reports. Wheat and maslin accounted for 598,705 tonnes of the total…
Czech company Skoda Vagonka pledges to deliver the remaining seven new electric trains to Latvia by the end of July 2024, LETA reports. The company assured that production was proceeding on schedule. Latvian passenger train operator Pasazieru Vilciens (Vivi) has so far received 25 of the 32 new electric trains ordered from Skoda Vagonka. Vivi…