Over 600 couples in Latvia have registered partnerships in one year since partnerships were recognised in legislation, LSM reports. The Register of Natural Persons contained information on altogether 613 registered partnerships as of 1 July 2025, including 235 same-sex and 378 opposite-sex partnerships. Under the law, a partnership can be entered into by two adults,…
The education inequality gap is widening between generations in Estonia, according to a new study, ERR reports. The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) test shows that education inequality is growing faster in Estonia than in other OECD countries. Inequality has deepened in terms of education, language, and especially age. Young people’s…
Latvia’s state administration will end remote work, Raivis Kronbergs, director of the State Chancellery, announced, LSM reports. He said that ministries and subordinate institutions would amend their internal regulations accordingly. Job advertisements will still be able to offer remote work as an option. Kronbergs noted that current premises do not have room for all employees….
Estonia’s Ministry of Interior expects the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK) to leave the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church before summer 2025, ERR reports. Earlier, the ministry submitted a draft legislative amendment to the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, which would ban religious associations directed by countries that threaten Estonia’s public order,…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has passed in final reading amendments further limiting alcohol sales and advertising as of 1 August 2025, LSM reports. Under the amendments, the sale of alcoholic beverages will be permitted from 10am to 8pm on Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 6pm on Sunday, thus reducing the availability of…
The number of road accidents recorded in Lithuania totalled 2,867 in 2024, according to data from the Transport Competence Agency (TKA), BNS reported. Altogether 123 people died in the accidents, which was down 23% from 160 people in 2023. The number of pedestrians killed was 33, which was almost unchanged from 34 a year earlier….
The Latvian animated film, “Flow,” has become the first Latvian film to receive a Golden Globe award, LSM reports. The film, directed by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film of 2024. The film, notable for being completely rendered on the free and open-source software, Blender, and containing…
People in Latvia are more optimistic about their financial situation, according to a new SKDS poll for Luminor Bank conducted in December 2024, Baltic News Network reports. The survey showed that 42% of respondents expected their financial situation to improve in 2025, with 22% expecting much better and 21% slightly better finances. Meanwhile, 24% of…
Estonia has implemented a new rounding rule for cash payments as of 1 January 2025, The Baltic Guide reports. Under the new “Swedish rounding” rule, the final cash transaction totals will be rounded to the nearest five cents, reducing the need for one and two cent coins. The coins will still remain legal tender, however….