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There are five statistical regions in Latvia^[1] (Latvian: Latvijas statistiskie reģioni) are Kurzeme, Latgale, Rīga, Vidzeme and Zemgale.

Statistical regions were established according to the main principles set out in the Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS)^[2] (hereinafter NUTS Regulation), further amended. This NUTS Regulation directly concerns all Member States of the European Union and from 1 May 2004 it is also binding upon Latvia.

The statistical regions of Latvia are not administrative regions, as they have been formed for statistical purposes. Therefore, they are not mentioned in the law that determines the administrative divisions of Latvia.^[3]

The structure of Statistical Regions is approved by order No. 911 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 7 December 2021 "On the Statistical Regions of the Republic of Latvia and Administrative Units Therein", further amended.^[4]

Structure

Kurzeme (Latvian: Kurzemes statistiskais reģions):
Kuldīga Municipality, Liepāja, Saldus Municipality, South Kurzeme Municipality, Talsi Municipality, Tukums Municipality, Ventspils, Ventspils Municipality
Latgale (Latvian: Latgales statistiskais reģions):
Augšdaugava Municipality, Balvi municipality, Daugavpils, Krāslava municipality, Līvāni municipality, Ludza municipality, Preiļi municipality, Rēzekne, Rēzekne municipality
Riga (Latvian: Rīgas statistiskais reģions):
Riga, Jūrmala, Sigulda Municipality, Ķekava Municipality, Salaspils Municipality, Ādaži Municipality, Mārupe Municipality, Olaine Municipality, Ropaži Municipality
Vidzeme (Latvian: Vidzemes statistiskais reģions):
Alūksne municipality, Cēsis municipality, Gulbene municipality, Madona municipality, Smiltene municipality, Valka municipality, Valmiera Municipality, Varakļāni municipality
Zemgale (Latvian: Zemgales statistiskais reģions):
Aizkraukle municipality, Bauska municipality, Dobele municipality, Jelgava, Jelgava municipality, Jēkabpils municipality.

Statistics

NUTS Code	Regions	Largest City	Area	Population* – (per km²)	GDP (billion €)	GDP per capita (€)^[5]
LV006	Rīga	Rīga	304 km²	632,614 - (2,081/km²)	19.261	31,600
LV007	Pierīga	Jūrmala	10,134 km²	370,589 – (37/km²)	-	-
LV003	Kurzeme	Liepāja	13,606 km²	240,113 – (18/km²)	3.764	13,600
LV005	Latgale	Daugavpils	14,550 km²	260,226 – (18/km²)	2.404	9,700
LV009	Zemgale	Jelgava	10,732 km²	230,331 – (21/km²)	2.904	12,900
LV008	Vidzeme	Valmiera	15,245 km²	186,095 – (12/km²)	3.291	11,900
LV00	Latvija	Rīga	64,572 km²	1,919,968 – (30/km²)	36.104	19,100
* Data as of 30 December 2021, GDP data as of 2022

History

NUTS Regulation was established to divide economic territory of EU^[6] into similar territorial units for the purpose of collection, compilation and dissemination of harmonised regional statistics in the EU. Shortly before accession to EU, Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and representatives of the planning regions came to an agreement about the structure of statistical regions (order No.271 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 28 April 2004 "On the Statistical Regions of the Republic of Latvia and Administrative Units Therein", further amended.)

Statistical regions of Latvia were approved by Regulation (EC) No 1888/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2005 amending Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) by reason of the accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia to the European Union.

The four statistical regions Kurzeme, Latgale, Vidzeme and Zemgale aligned with the planning regions of Latvia^[7] (Regulation No.391 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 5 May 2009 "On the territories of the Planning Regions.", further amended),^[8] but Rīga and Pierīga statistical regions comprise the territory of the Rīga planning region. After new planning regions were introduced in 2021, the borders no longer align.