OCDE - Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026 - Letonia de 2026

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DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: LATVIA © OECD 2026

Summary of key data and information Summary of key data and information Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1) There is no official statistical definition of homelessness in Latvia. Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3) 5 971 individuals, representing 0.32% of the total population (2024) 17% are women, 83% are men Flow count, based on the Reports on Social Services and Social Assistance ETHOS Light groups included Included: • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) Not included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) • ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) • ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4) There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in Latvia. However, municipalities are obliged to collect data on provided social services, including for services provided by shelters. Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • There is no national homelessness strategy in Latvia. • Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategies addressing homelessness: strategy Housing Affordability Guidelines for 2023-2027 (Ministry of Economics), Social Protection and Labour Market Policy Guidelines for 2021-2027 (Ministry of Welfare). Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6)

Guidelines for 2023-2027 (Ministry of Economics), Social Protection and Labour Market Policy Guidelines for 2021-2027 (Ministry of Welfare). Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6) • Reports on Social Services and Social Assistance: Shelters report information on the number of clients using their services (Table 6.1) Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness Statistical definition Homelessness No official statistical definition of homelessness in Latvia. Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Latvia2  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: LATVIA © OECD 2026 Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology Year Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals) % of total population ETHOS Light 1 People living rough ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends 2017 6 877 0.35% NA NA NA NA NA NA 2022 5 997 0.32% Not included 5 997 Included under

ETHOS 2

Not included Not included Not included 2024 5 971 0.32% Not included 5 971 Included under

ETHOS 2

Not included Not included Not included Metadata: • Type of count: Flow • Data are comparable across years: Yes

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: Yes o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No

ETHOS 2

Not included Not included Not included Metadata: • Type of count: Flow • Data are comparable across years: Yes

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: Yes o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Ministry of Welfare (2024), Reports on Social Services and Social Assistance. Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2024 Single adults Men Women Youth (aged 15-29) Older people (aged 65 and over) Families with children (# of households) Headline estimate of homelessness 5 971 4 978 993 NA NA NA As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness 0.32% 83.40% 16.60% NA NA NA ETHOS Light 1: People living rough Not included Not included Not included NA NA NA ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation 5 971 4 978 993 NA NA NA ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless Not included Not included Not included NA NA NA ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions Not included Not included Not included NA NA NA ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings Not included Not included Not included NA NA NA ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends Not included Not included Not included NA NA NA Metadata: • Type of count: Flow

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: Yes o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive. The gender breakdown refers to 2024.

• Type of count: Flow
• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: Yes o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive. The gender breakdown refers to 2024.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Ministry of Welfare (2024), Reports on Social Services and Social Assistance. 3

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: LATVIA © OECD 2026

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness Legal framework Law that governs data collection on homelessness None. Legal obligations There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in Latvia. However, municipalities are obliged to collect data on provided social services, including for services provided by shelters. Table 5. Homelessness strategy Homelessness strategies in place National Homelessness Strategy • There is no national homelessness strategy in Latvia. Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategy addressing homelessness: strategy Housing Affordability Guidelines for 2023-2027 (Ministry of Economics), Social Protection and Labour Market Policy Guidelines for 2021-2027 (Ministry of Welfare). Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist No. Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness 6.1. Reports on Social Services and Social Assistance Description Every time a person receives a shelter service, information about them is entered into the municipal social services registration database by th e shelter’s social worker. The Ministry of Welfare collects the data provided by mun icipalities including the number of persons who have received the sh elter service. The reference period begins and ends in June. Information is collected on all people who have received a shelter service, which does not necessarily indicate that a person is experiencing homelessness. Type of count generated Flow (period) Methods Service-based method Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Welfare Source(s) of information Shelter services report information to the Ministry of Welfare directly through the

that a person is experiencing homelessness. Type of count generated Flow (period) Methods Service-based method Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Welfare Source(s) of information Shelter services report information to the Ministry of Welfare directly through the central database. Scope National level Depth of data Simple enumeration Frequency Annual ETHOS Light groups included: • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more subcategories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted. Notes and sources Gada dati | Labklājības ministrija (lm.gov.lv) Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housingdatabase.html.4  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: LATVIA © OECD 2026 This work is issued under the responsibility of the Secretar y-General of the OECD, and does not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD Member countries. This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union. This document, as well as any data and map included here in, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

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