Latvia: Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Latvia's renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) rose 24.43 on 2021 (from 8,989 to 9,014).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2021), the average change was +86.54 and a typical year strayed about 26.86 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 166.35 in 2010. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 68.15 a year. A straight line explains 99% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2022, Latvia had the 51st highest value of the 181 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Latvia in the 2022 ranking

• São Tomé and Principe — 47th of 181: 9,633
• Estonia — 48th of 181: 9,423
• Ireland — 49th of 181: 9,400
• Slovenia — 51st of 181: 8,840
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 52nd of 181: 8,789
• Honduras — 53rd of 181: 8,664

What this measures

Renewable internal freshwater resources flows refer to internal renewable resources (internal river flows and groundwater from rainfall) in the country. Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita are calculated using the World Bank's population estimates.

Limitations: A common perception is that most of the available freshwater resources are visible (on the surfaces of lakes, reservoirs and rivers). However, this visible water represents only a tiny fraction of global freshwater resources, as most of it is stored in aquifers, with the largest stocks stored in solid form in the Antarctic and in Greenland's ice cap. The data on freshwater resources are based on estimates of runoff into rivers and recharge of groundwater. These estimates are based on different sources and refer to different years, so cross-country comparisons should be made with caution.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 31 values

Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) in nearby economies

• Albania — 10,972 (2022)
• Andorra — 3,960 (2022)
• Armenia — 2,310 (2022)
• Austria — 6,083 (2022)
• Azerbaijan — 800.16 (2022)
• Belarus — 3,684 (2022)
• Belgium — 1,027 (2022)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 11,077 (2022)
• Bulgaria

More environment data for Latvia

• Population in largest city — 615,764 (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 48.55% (2025)
• Rural population — 579,603 (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 31.37% (2025)
• Urban population — 1.27 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 68.63% (2025)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — -1.46% (2025)
• Urban population growth (annual %) — -0.77% (2025)
• Agricultural land (sq. km) — 19,710 (2024)
• Surface area (sq. km) — 64,590 (2024)
• Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Latvia's renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters)?

9,014 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 39.11% from 6,480 in 1992 (1.11% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 9,014 in 2022 and the lowest 6,480 in 1992.

How does Latvia rank?

51st highest of 181 economies with data for 2022.

Is the latest change in renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) unusual for Latvia?

In 2022, Latvia's renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) rose 24.43 on 2021 (from 8,989 to 9,014). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2021), the average change was +86.54 and a typical year strayed about 26.86 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ER.H2O.INTR.PC, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), uri: https://data.apps.fao.org/aquastat/, publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), date accessed: 20240529 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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