Latgale municipalities face uncertain future as birth rates fall

Latgale’s municipalities are struggling to retain young families as the region’s declining birth rate reshapes public services and raises concerns about their future, LSM reported, citing Latgale Regional Television.

Children account for just over 15% of the population in Latgale, the lowest share in Latvia, compared with a national average of 18%.

The situation is particularly critical in Augšdaugava Municipality, where 175 children were born 10 years ago compared with just 74 last year.

The decline in the number of children is already affecting education. In Ludza Municipality, the number of schoolchildren and preschoolers has fallen by about one-fifth over the past five academic years.

“These are enormous costs. It also affects the provision of teachers, because it is difficult to attract teachers for small workloads,” said Gunta Stolere, head of the Ludza Municipality Education Administration.

Augšdaugava Municipality has also significantly reduced its school network over the longer term, said council chairman Vitālijs Aizbalts. “If we are talking about reorganising the school network over a period of 10 to 15 years, we have to say that the school network has been reduced by almost half. If we close a school, the local community also disappears, and young people will never return there,” he said.

Municipalities raise benefits and seek investors

Municipalities are looking for ways to keep the young families who remain in the region. Augšdaugava has increased its birth benefit, while Ludza offers families support in addressing housing issues.

“What our families need is, of course, jobs, which we also cannot boast of, because investors are cautious and do not come to the regions, also taking into account the current geopolitical situation,” said Ludza Municipality council chairman Edgars Mekšs.

In Ludza, the municipality is trying to attract businesses and create new jobs by building a new manufacturing facility.