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Immigration 202414,70125th in the EU-27
Net migration 2024−4,236immigration − emigration
First-time asylum claims 20251,28519th in the EU-27 · 0.2% UE
New citizenships 20241,05622nd in the EU-27

Latvia ranks 25th in the EU-27 for regular immigration: in 2024 it registered 14,701 arrivals and 18,937 departures, for a net balance of −4,236. In 2025 first-time asylum applications came to 1,285, 0.2% of the EU total; citizenship acquisitions in 2024 numbered 1,056.

Regular migration

The series includes all citizenships — EU citizens moving between member states and returning nationals included — and counts those moving their usual residence for at least 12 months. Compared with 2019, immigration is up 31%.

Immigration Emigration

Regular migration, Latvia, by year · Eurostat
YearImmigrationEmigrationNet
202414,70118,937−4,236
202315,62918,752−3,123
202238,70816,680+22,028
202112,68912,975−286
20208,84011,990−3,150
201911,22314,583−3,360
201810,90915,814−4,905
20179,91617,724−7,808
20168,34520,574−12,229
20159,47920,119−10,640
201410,36519,017−8,652
20138,29922,561−14,262
201213,30325,163−11,860
201110,23430,311−20,077
20104,01139,651−35,640
20093,73138,208−34,477
20084,67827,045−22,367

Asylum applications

First-time applications for international protection lodged in Latvia in 2025 came to 1,285 (the 19th-highest in the EU). The series peak remains 2023, with 1,630 applications.

First-time asylum applications, Latvia, by year · Eurostat
YearFirst-time claims
20251,285
2024795
20231,630
2022555
2021580
2020150
2019175
2018175
2017350
2016350
2015330
2014370
2013185
2012190
2011340
201055
200945
200850

New citizenships

In 2024 citizenship acquisitions came to 1,056, the 22nd-highest in the EU-27. It is a lagging indicator: today's new citizens typically immigrated several years ago.

Citizenship acquisitions, Latvia, by year · Eurostat
YearAcquisitions
20241,056
20231,014
2022966
2021850
20201,136
20191,650
20181,683
20171,794
20161,957
20151,897
20142,141
20133,083
20123,784
20112,467
20103,660
20093,235
20084,230

Who leaves

In 2024, 9,071 of the country's own citizens moved abroad (the 19th-highest in the EU). The true number is almost certainly higher: emigration is measured through de-registrations, and people who leave do not always deregister.

How to read these numbers. Regular migration follows the UN definition (residence ≥ 12 months) and also includes EU citizens and returning nationals. “First-time applications” exclude repeat claims in the same country. Emigration, based on de-registrations, is generally undercounted. Definitions in the glossary, sources and limits in the methodology.

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