RIGA, July 4 (LETA) - According to data compiled by the Central Election Commission, an average of 14.3 candidates are currently vying per seat in the 15th Saeima elections.

As of Saturday evening, a total of 14 tickets have been submitted for the elections, and the total number of candidates running in the elections is 1,434.

The fiercest competition, in terms of the number of candidates per seat, is currently in Zemgale constituency, with approximately 15.9 candidates vying for one Saime seat, and in Kurzeme: 15.7 candidates per one seat in the parliament. In Latgale, there will be 15 candidates vying per Saeima seat, in Riga - 13.9, and in Vidzeme - 13.3 candidates.

Riga constituency has the highest number of candidates: 527 candidates running for a total of 38 seats. In Vidzeme, there are 347 candidates for 26 seats, in Zemgale - 207 candidates for 13 seats, in Latgale - 180 candidates for 12 seats, and in Kurzeme - 173 candidates for 11 seats.

Compared to the 14th Saeima elections, competition among candidates running in the elections is lower. In the previous Saeima elections, 19 tickets with a total of 1,832 candidates were registered. At this time, 14 tickets listing 1,434 candidates have been submitted for the 15th Saeima elections. That is five tickets and 398 candidates fewer, representing a decrease in the number of candidates of approximately 22 percent. In the 14th Saeima elections, there were 18.3 candidates per seat in the parliament, now the figure is 14.3.

The maximum number of candidates that a single party or a coalition of parties may field across all five constituencies in the 15th Saeima elections is 125. Seven political forces have nominated the maximum number of candidates: the National Alliance, Latvia First, the Progressives, New Unity, the United List, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and Sovereign Power/New Latvians.

The other parties and political associations have shorter tickets. Harmony Center has nominated 105 candidates, the New Conservative Party - 85 candidates, For Latvia's Development - 84 candidates, We Change The Rules - 77 candidates, Rising Sun For Latvia - 75 candidates, Gobzems List - 73 candidates, and Stability - 60 candidates.

Of all candidates, 488 candidates, or 34 percent, are women, while 946 candidates, or 66 percent, are men. Compared to the 14th Saeima elections, the share of women among candidates has decreased slightly: in the 14th Saeima elections, 36.3 percent of candidates were women.

Data on candidates' education shows that 1,129 candidates, or 78.7 percent, have a university degree; 281 candidates, or 19.6 percent, have secondary education, and 24 candidates, or 1.7 percent, have primary education.

By ethnicity, 1,066 candidates, or 74.3 percent, are ethnic Latvians. 109 candidates, or 7.6 percent, are Russians, while 217 candidates, or 15.1 percent, have not specified their ethnicity. Across the regions, the highest proportion of Russian candidates is in Riga, 10.6 percent, followed by Latgale with 8.3 percent, Zemgale - 5.8 percent, Kurzeme - 5.2 percent, and Vidzeme - 4.9 percent.

Nearly a quarter of the candidates, 327 candidates or 22.8 percent, have not indicated their marital status. 764 candidates, or 53.4 percent, are married; 190, or 13.2 percent, are not married, 131 (9.1 percent) are divorced, and 22 (1.5 percent) are widowed.