Latvia Has Europe's Largest Gender Imbalance — Women Outnumber Men by Over 130,000

Latvia has the largest gender imbalance in Europe. In a country of just 1.86 million people, women outnumber men by approximately 137,000 — a gap of 15.5%, more than three times the EU average.

The Numbers

As of 2025, Latvia's population is roughly 53.7% female and 46.3% male. For every 100 men, there are 116 women. No other EU country comes close to this ratio.

But the headline number hides a crucial detail: the imbalance is not evenly distributed across age groups. For Latvians under 44, the gender split is roughly equal. The dramatic gap is concentrated in the elderly population, where women outnumber men roughly two to one.

Why the Gap Exists

Three factors drive Latvia's gender imbalance:

1. Men die younger. Latvian men have a life expectancy of about 71.3 years, compared to 81.1 years for women. That 10-year gap is one of the largest in the EU and means far fewer men survive into old age.

2. Male emigration. Latvia has experienced significant emigration since joining the EU in 2004, and men have emigrated at higher rates than women — often seeking better-paid manual and industrial work in Western Europe.

3. World War II. The war killed approximately 12.5% of Latvia's population, with men dying at far higher rates. In 1950, women outnumbered men by 260,000. The demographic shockwave has echoed through generations, and while the gap has narrowed, it has never fully closed.

Not Quite 'Running Out of Men'

Social media often frames Latvia as a country "running out of men" — a dramatic oversimplification. Young Latvians face roughly the same dating landscape as most European countries. The real story is about elderly women living alone, a life expectancy crisis among men, and the long shadow of twentieth-century history.