Latvian in Latvia

2. Status

Status

Official country wide language
Official regional language
Official minority language
Recognised community language
Unrecognised community language

National language

Yes

Indigenous language

No

3. State

Documentation: materials

Written

Extended corpora
Annotated corpora
Corpus/corpora
Materials/corpus
Some materials
No materials

Digital

Yes

Comments

korpuss.lv

divider

Video

Extended corpora
Annotated corpora
Corpus/corpora
Materials/corpus
Some materials
No materials

divider

Audio

Extended corpora
Annotated corpora
Corpus/corpora
Materials/corpus
Some materials
No materials

divider

Documentation: descriptions

Elaborated dictionaries, grammars, statistical language models, etc.
Dictionaries and grammars
Dictionary and grammar
Glossary and descriptions
Few descriptions
No descriptions

Digital

Yes

Standardization

Modern standard language
Young standard language
Standardised language
Quasi-standard language
Semi-standardised language
Un-standardised language

Graphisation & script encoding

Standardised writing system with full script encoding
Conventionalised writing system with partial script encoding
Consistent writing system with no script encoding
Unsystematic writing system(s)
Limited written use
No written use

4. Users

Geographical distribution

Users live and dominate in all regions of the country
Users live in one [state/...] of the country
Users live in a cross-border region [state/...] of the country
Users live in separated [states/...] of the country
Users live dispersed across one [state/...] of the country
Users live scattered all over the country

Settlements

Rural
Urban

Size / Number of users

Number of users

1893223

Source

Central Statistical Bureau of the Republic of Latvia

Year

2021

Users within total population

98.00000

More than 50% use the language

PROPORTION

98

Source

Language situation in Latvia: 2016-2020. Sociolinguistic researche. Latvian Language Agency. Riga, 2021.
Available: https://valoda.lv/petijumi/sociolingvistika/

Year

2019

Users within the reference community

More than 50% use the language

Comments

Native speakers - 61% (Central Statistical Bureau of the Republic of Latvia, 2017)

Age distribution of users

759,757

65

percentage of members of middle generations (15-65)

Source

census, 2011

Year

2011

Age distribution of users

183,359

16

percentage of members of young generations (< 15)

Source

census, 2011

Year

2011

Age distribution of users

221,774

19

percentage of members of older generations (> 65)

Source

Census, 2011

Year

2011

Generational use

46

54

All generations

Source

Central Statistical Bureau of the Republic of Latvia

Year

2021

Educational attainment

Early childhood education

Primary education

Lower secondary education

Higher secondary education

Tertiary education

Occupational qualifications

Elementary occupations

Plant and machine operators and assemblers

Craft and related trades workers

Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers

Services and sales workers

Clerical support workers

Technicians and associate professionals

Professionals

Managers

Language competence

Language not used

4

3

Understand little, speak/sign none

Year

2019

Source

Language situation in Latvia: 2016-2020. Sociolinguistic researche. Latvian Language Agency. Riga, 2021.
Available: https://valoda.lv/petijumi/sociolingvistika/

9

5

Understand some, speak/sign little

Year

2019

Source

Language situation in Latvia: 2016-2020. Sociolinguistic researche. Latvian Language Agency. Riga, 2021.
Available: https://valoda.lv/petijumi/sociolingvistika/

9

13

Understand well, speak/sign some

Year

2019

Source

Language situation in Latvia: 2016-2020. Sociolinguistic researche. Latvian Language Agency. Riga, 2021.
Available: https://valoda.lv/petijumi/sociolingvistika/

10

Understand all, speak/sign well

Year

2019

Source

Language situation in Latvia: 2016-2020. Sociolinguistic researche. Latvian Language Agency. Riga, 2021.
Available: https://valoda.lv/petijumi/sociolingvistika/

66

68

Understand all, speak/sign fluently

Year

2019

Source

Language situation in Latvia: 2016-2020. Sociolinguistic researche. Latvian Language Agency. Riga, 2021.
Available: https://valoda.lv/petijumi/sociolingvistika/

Literacy of users

(Almost) 100 % of users with literacy in the language

Source

Language situation in Latvia: 2016-2020. Sociolinguistic researche. Latvian Language Agency. Riga, 2021.
Available: https://valoda.lv/petijumi/sociolingvistika/

Year

2019

Digital use

More than 50% digital users of the language

Actual percentage

67

Source

DESI 2020 (Digital Economy and Society Index)

Year

2020

5. Use

Socio-geographic dimension

Geographic scope

International
Supranational
Cross-border (states)
State-wide
Supra-regional cross-border
Supra-regional
Regional cross-border
Regional
Local

Economic dimension

Economic scope

Quinary sector
Quaternary sector
Tertiary sector
Secondary sector
Primary sector
Language not used

Quinary sector
Quaternary sector
Tertiary sector
Secondary sector
Primary sector
Language not used

Quinary sector
Quaternary sector
Tertiary sector
Secondary sector
Primary sector
Language not used

Quinary sector
Quaternary sector
Tertiary sector
Secondary sector
Primary sector
Language not used

Quinary sector
Quaternary sector
Tertiary sector
Secondary sector
Primary sector
Language not used

Functional dimension

Functional scope

Public domains
Everyday domains
Private domains

Functional scope

Public domains
Everyday domains
Private domains

Functional scope

Public domains
Everyday domains
Private domains

Functional use in administration

Language use in administration

International level
National level
Regional level
Local level
Auxiliary use
No use

Types of language use

signed / spoken use
written use
digital use

Language is used for

Census data
Census surveys
Election processes
Topographical signs

Ethnoculture

No use
Informal learning
Skills and knowledge
Performing arts
Social practices
Customary law
Traditional medicine
Knowledge and practices
Traditions and expressions

Formal Education

Early childhood education

Type of language use in education

Medium of instruction
Immersion teaching
Teaching subject
Occasionally used
Symbolically used

Primary level

Type of language use in education

Medium of instruction
Immersion teaching
Teaching subject
Occasionally used
Symbolically used

Lower secondary level

Type of language use in education

Medium of instruction
Immersion teaching
Teaching subject
Occasionally used
Symbolically used

Higher secondary level

Type of language use in education

Medium of instruction
Immersion teaching
Teaching subject
Occasionally used
Symbolically used

Tertiary level

Type of language use in education

Medium of instruction
Immersion teaching
Teaching subject
Occasionally used
Symbolically used

Public healthcare

Language not used
Translations
Healthcare information
Nursing care (incl. elderly)
Doctor-patient communication
Generally used

Information, communication and cultural production

Information services
Broadcasting
Video, film
Sound/music recording
Publishing activities
Language not used

Information services
Broadcasting
Video, film
Sound/music recording
Publishing activities
Language not used

Information services
Broadcasting
Video, film
Sound/music recording
Publishing activities
Language not used

Information services
Broadcasting
Video, film
Sound/music recording
Publishing activities
Language not used

Information services
Broadcasting
Video, film
Sound/music recording
Publishing activities
Language not used

Legal system

Language use in the legal system

General use
Legal transactions
Court proceedings
Written submissions
Spoken/signed testimonies
Language not used

The World Atlas of Languages is a beta version while data is being validated. Some inconsistencies may appear. The displayed data does not commit the Organization.