Rinkēvičs warns of Latvia's decline – by about 15 percent 0 32

In his speech, Rinkēvičs emphasized the importance of the demographic issue: "Without people, we cannot talk about economic development, because there will be no one to work. Without people, there will be neither economic development nor state security."

"According to the data I have," Rinkēvičs stated, "if the current demographic trend continues, by 2040 we will face an even more serious population decline. In fact, we will lose about 15% of the country's residents — that is approximately 270,000 people. If today we are talking about 1.8 million residents, in the future we may be looking at 1.5–1.6 million residents of Latvia."

What to do? The president has no good answer: "We fully understand that there is no 'magic wand' that could solve all problems in one, two, or three years. If we start acting this year, we may see the first results within the next three to five years. The task of stopping the current trend remains relevant. In 2025, fewer children were born in Latvia than in 2024."

Who is to blame? "Of course, the situation is influenced by feelings of insecurity, as well as economic development. Current events in the Middle East may affect our region, economy, and state security. We cannot predict everything or fully analyze it — there are many factors beyond our control," Rinkēvičs acknowledged.

There are ideas. Nevertheless, the president offered some advice: "In my opinion, we should discuss several directions. First, further steps to strengthen families and enhance the benefits system, understanding that they do not solve all problems. Second, what needs to be done in the field of health policy. Third, what measures are needed in housing policy. We know that some experts suggest considering demographics also in the context of migration policy. Here we clearly understand the existing challenges — this is an extremely sensitive topic.