Youth emigrating from Latvia way over EU average

The number of young people emigrating from Latvia is almost two-times higher than the European average, an expert has said. 

A youth policy deputy director Sanda Bruna said that on average 17 percent of young people from Latvia emigrate from the country to look for work abroad. The European average is at around 10 percent.

Speaking at the annual International Youth Day conference in Riga, Bruna explained that, over time, the number of young persons living in Latvia has reduced. The lure? better pay abroad. The average age of Latvian residents has risen, Bruna added. 

She also said that the ministry intends to implement various measures, with which they hope to convince younger persons to remain in Latvia.

Bruna, a deputy director of the Education and Science Ministry Political Initiative and Development Department said that young persons must be convinced that they have the opportunity to improve themselves and accomplish their ambitions right here in Latvia.

According to information from the Central Statistical Bureau, there are 292,000 young persons living in Latvia between the ages of 13 to 25.