Latvia’s average monthly gross wage amounted to EUR 1,835 in the third quarter of 2025, which was up 7.8% from the same period of 2024, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. The average wage rose by 8.1% in the private sector and 7.1% in the public sector. The average hourly…
The international credit rating agency, S&P Global, has affirmed Latvia’s sovereign credit rating at A/A-1 with a stable outlook, unchanged from its previous report in May 2025, LSM reports. The agency noted persistent geopolitical uncertainty and elevated regional security risks, but expects Latvia to adhere to prudent fiscal policy and to withstand external headwinds in…
The Baltic Assembly has announced its annual awards in arts, literature, and science, LSM reports. The prize in the arts category went to Latvian conductor Kaspars Putnins for the Latvian Radio Choir’s concert programme, The Dream Stream. The literature prize was awarded to Lithuanian author and translator Tomas Venclova for his latest poetry collection, Už…
Latvia’s Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) may take the electronic moped rental company, Ride, to court for its refusal to suspend operations as ordered, LSM reports. Earlier, PTAC told Ride to halt its rental service after two teenagers riding the company’s vehicle died in a traffic accident in Riga. Linda Rinkule, deputy director of PTAC,…
Over 7,700 people in Latvia have signed a public petition against withdrawing from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence, LSM reports. Earlier, several parties in the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, signalled that they might vote to revoke Latvia’s ratification of the human rights treaty. The Union of Greens…
Estonia had the highest pupil-to-teacher ratio in the Baltic States in 2023, according to Eurostat data, LSM reported. Estonia had 12.5 pupils per teacher in primary to upper secondary education in 2023, which was up from 12.4 in 2022. Latvia had 11.9 (11.5) and Lithuania 11.4 (11.4) pupils per teacher. The EU average was 12.2…
Housing prices in Latvia increased by 6.7% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to the same period of 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Compared to the first quarter of 2025, housing prices rose by 3.2%. The increase in housing prices in Latvia was higher than the EU average, according to Eurostat’s House…
Latvia’s state-owned postal service provider, Latvijas Pasts, has resumed accepting letters for delivery to the US, LSM reports. Customers can thus again send standard, registered, and trackable letters to the US. However, deliveries of parcels and small packages remain suspended. Latvijas Pasts, in cooperation with the Universal Postal Union, continues to work out how to…
Latvia’s Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) has suspended the operations of the electronic moped rental company, Ride, following an accident resulting in the deaths of two teenage girls in Riga, LSM reports. The company insisted that the decision was unjustified and said it was considering a legal challenge. PTAC suspended the service to prevent minors…