Latvians' willingness to emigrate to Western countries has slightly increased - survey

RIGA - The percentage of Latvians who would like to emigrate to Western countries if they had such an opportunity has slightly increased over the past year, Arnis Kaktins, director of SKDS research center, informs.

In October 2024, the percentage of such respondents was 37 percent, which is close to 38 percent recorded in 2012.

In October this year, 55 percent of respondents rejected the option to emigrate from Latvia, while 7 percent were undecided.

In October 2023, by comparison, 33 percent of respondents said they would like to emigrate to the West, 61 percent rejected emigration and 6 percent were undecided.

According to SKDS polls, Latvians' desire to emigrate hit the highest point in October 2009, at the height of the financial crisis, when 53 percent of respondents voiced the wish to move to a more prosperous country in the West. Since 2010, the proportion of such respondents, although unevenly, has been decreasing,

The SKDS surveys included 1,000 respondents each.