Riga, March 16 (LETA) - As many as 946 newborns were registered in Latvia in January this year, which is 7.4 percent or 65 newborns more than in the corresponding period of 2025, according to preliminary data published by the Central Statistical Office.

The last time an increase in the number of newborns was recorded in Latvia compared to the same month of the previous year was at the end of 2023, when the increase was minimal - in November 2023 compared to November 2022 the number of newborns registered increased by 0.2 percent to 1,079, while in December 2023 compared to December 2022 the increase was 0.1 percent to 1096 newborns. These were the only months in 2023 when the number of births increased year-on-year.

However, the last time a faster increase than in January this year was recorded was in December 2019, when the number of newborns registered in Latvia increased by 8.7 percent compared to December 2018, reaching 1,538.

In January 2026, 466 of the registered newborns were boys, an increase of 0.9 percent or four compared to the same period in 2025, while 480 were girls, an increase of 14.6 percent or 61.

At the same time, 2,559 deaths were registered in Latvia in January, which is 6.1 percent or 148 more than in January last year.

Thus, the number of deaths registered in January this year exceeded the number of births by 1,613, while in the same period last year the number of deaths exceeded the number of births by 1,530.

At the same time, the number of marriages contracted in January decreased sharply - 358 marriages were registered in Latvia in January this year, which is 23.2 percent or 108 fewer marriages than in the same period last year.

On February 1 this year, the estimated population of Latvia was 1.821 million.