Student numbers hit 20-year low, but current enrolment is up

The latest Central Statistical Bureau data published on 13 February show that declining student numbers in the Latvian higher education system continue their worrying trend – though there may also be some reason to expect something different in future, reports Eng.LSM.lv (Latvian Public Broadcasting).

In the academic year 2023-24 tertiary education is being acquired by 74,000 students, which is 1.8% less than a year ago. In Latvia, the number of students has been declining for the past 20 years. An upward trend was recorded until 2005 when the highest figure was reached – 131,100 students – but since then the number has been on the slide.

However, there may be some cause for optimism as the number of entrants has grown sharply in the current academic year. In the academic year 2023-24, 28,900 students entered Latvian higher education institutions, which is 9.3 % or 2,400 more than in the previous academic year and the fastest increase in a decade.
Full report on the Eng.LSM.lv site