On January 31, Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSB) will launch annual population survey collecting statistics for income and living conditions (SILC). Around 9 000 households will be asked about their housing conditions, income, health status, social exclusion and material deprivation. The collected data will guide decisions on setting the minimum wage, size of pensions and state social insurance benefits, as well as on developing social assistance programmes and supporting low-income families.
‘The survey captures what no register or database can – how people actually live and how they assess their quality of life, health, everyday habits and financial situation. Every participant helps to ensure that social policy decisions are grounded in real experiences and informed by reliable data. Higher participation means a clearer and more accurate picture of the needs of Latvian society,’ emphasises Raimonds Lapiņš, Director General of the CSB.
Alongside the core topics, this year the survey collects additional information on the housing, labour market, wealth, over-indebtedness, loans, and consumption of selected goods and service.
How the survey is conducted
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The EU-SILC survey is conducted annually in all EU countries based on a common and verified methodology. Participants are selected using a random sampling method.
To conduct the survey, the CSB uses two approaches, depending on whether respondents are taking part for the first time or have participated before:
- Participants who have taken part in the survey before will receive a letter from the CSB inviting them to complete an electronic questionnaire in the CSB Electronic Data Collection System e.csp.gov.lv between 31 January and 21 February.
Please note that CSB guarantees confidentiality of personal data and will only publish summarised figures.
If the questionnaire is not completed during this period, a CSB interviewer will contact the respondent up to 30 June and arrange a telephone or face-to-face interview.
Participants taking part in the survey for the first time will be contacted between 31 January and 30 June. A CSB interviewer will send a letter with and invitation to participate in the survey and contact details to arrange a telephone or face-to-face interview.
Recognising official surveys and avoiding fraud
When visiting in person, the interviewer will present a CSB employee ID with a photograph. Respondents can verify identity of the interviewer and find out more about the survey by calling the toll-free assistance number +371 80008811 on weekdays from 10:00 to 18:00 or by writing to the email address silc@csp.gov.lv.
Be aware that CSB interviewers will never ask for bank or payment card details or passwords. Any request for such information should be treated as a fraud attempt.
Key EU-SILC 2025 survey results
- In 2024, monthly income per household member increased to 960 euro (by 12.0 %).
- Income inequality keeps growing: disposable income of the richest inhabitants exceeded that of the poorest 6.7 times (6.3 times in 2023).
- Out of the total population of Latvia, 404 thousand people (22.5 %) were at risk of poverty.
- In one-person households, the at-risk-of-poverty threshold reached 699 euro monthly.