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Administrative divisions of Latvia

On 10 June 2020, the Saeima approved a municipal reform that would reduce the 110 municipalities and nine republic cities to 43 local government units consisting of 36 municipalities (Latvian: novadi, sg. novads) and seven state cities (valstspilsētas, sg. valstspilsēta).^[1][2] The municipalities are also further divided into 71 cities/towns (pilsētas, sg. pilsēta) and 512 parishes (pagasti, sg. pagasts). On 1 June 2021, the Constitutional Court of Latvia ruled that the annexation of Varakļāni MunicipalitytoRēzekne Municipality was unconstitutional. In response, the Saeima decided to preserve the existence of Varakļāni Municipality as a 43rd local government unit until 2025.^[3][4]

Previous municipal reforms after the restoration of Latvian independence were enacted in 2009 and 1990 (when parishes were restored).

State cities with independent governments as of 2021[edit]

The 2020 law on administrative territories and populated areas designated Ogre and the previous nine republic cities as state cities. It also provided for the promotion of Iecava and Koknese to state city status on 1 July 2021. However, under the same law, only the seven state cities listed in the following table will have local governments which are independent of any municipality. Of the remaining three state cities, Jēkabpils and Valmiera became part of Jēkabpils Municipality and Valmiera Municipality respectively on 1 July 2021, while Ogre is similarly a part of the Ogre Municipality.^[2]

City name	Population (2021 estimate)[5]	GDP (mil. €), 2018[6]	GDP per capita (€), 2018[6]
Daugavpils	80,627	693	8,400
Jelgava	55,336	583	10,400
Jūrmala	50,248	421	8,600
Liepāja	67,964	897	13,000
Rēzekne	26,839	283	10,100
Riga	614,618	16,395	25,800
Ventspils	33,372	470	13,600

Municipalities as of 2021[edit]

As of 1 July 2021, there are 36 municipalities in Latvia:^[3][7]

See also[edit]

• Administrative divisions of Latvia before 2021
• Administrative divisions of Latvia before 2009

References[edit]