There are 10 cities (Latvian: valstspilsēta, "state city", pl. valstspilsētas) and 71 towns (Latvian: novada pilsēta, "municipality town", pl. novada pilsētas) in Latvia.
By Latvian law, towns are settlements that are centers of culture and commerce with a well-developed architectural infrastructure and street grid, and have at least 2,000 residents. A settlement can still be designated a town if it has fewer residents, but fulfills all other requirements (or has been a historic town).
To become a city, a town must typically have at least 25,000 residents. Additionally, cities should have a well-developed commercial district, transport, public utilities, social infrastructure, and be a significant center of culture. However, these requirements may be disregarded if there is sufficient population.[1]
In 2020, an agreement was reached in Latvian parliament, Saeima, to rename the previous nine "republic" cities with the new title of "state city" (valstspilsēta). It was at this time that a tenth state city, Ogre (formerly a town), was added to the list.[2]
The 7 largest state cities have their own local governance independent of any municipalities, whereas the smallest 3 (Jēkabpils, Ogre and Valmiera) belong to their wider corresponding municipalities.[3]
State cities
| City
|
Population (2013)[4]
|
Population (2019)[5]
|
Population (2025)[6]
|
| Rīga pronunciationⓘ
|
658,640
|
632,614
|
591,882
|
| Daugavpils pronunciationⓘ
|
93,312
|
82,604
|
78,112
|
| Liepāja pronunciationⓘ
|
76,731
|
68,945
|
67,398
|
| Jelgava pronunciationⓘ
|
59,511
|
55,972
|
54,821
|
| Jūrmala pronunciationⓘ
|
50,840
|
49,325
|
51,933
|
| Ventspils pronunciationⓘ
|
38,750
|
34,377
|
32,719
|
| Rēzekne pronunciationⓘ
|
32,328
|
27,820
|
26,425
|
| Valmiera pronunciationⓘ
|
25,130
|
23,125
|
22,811
|
| Ogre pronunciationⓘ
|
26,167
|
24,768
|
22,753
|
| Jēkabpils pronunciationⓘ
|
24,635
|
22,076
|
21,014
|
Towns
| Town
|
Population (2010)[4]
|
Population (2018)[5]
|
Population (2024)[6]
|
Municipality[1]
|
| Ādaži
|
6,173
|
6,898
|
7,535
|
Ādaži Municipality
|
| Ainaži pronunciationⓘ
|
1,008
|
787
|
644
|
Limbaži Municipality
|
| Aizkraukle pronunciationⓘ
|
8,709
|
7,489
|
6,853
|
Aizkraukle Municipality
|
| Aizpute pronunciationⓘ
|
5,104
|
4,443
|
3,892
|
South Kurzeme Municipality
|
| Aknīste pronunciationⓘ
|
1,224
|
1,078
|
917
|
Jēkabpils Municipality
|
| Aloja pronunciationⓘ
|
1,353
|
1,197
|
1,060
|
Limbaži Municipality
|
| Alūksne pronunciationⓘ
|
8,900
|
7,555
|
6,175
|
Alūksne Municipality
|
| Ape pronunciationⓘ
|
1,083
|
907
|
777
|
Smiltene Municipality
|
| Auce pronunciationⓘ
|
3,076
|
2,640
|
2,136
|
Dobele Municipality
|
| Baldone pronunciationⓘ
|
2,399
|
3,966
|
3,711
|
Ķekava Municipality
|
| Baloži pronunciationⓘ
|
5,665
|
6,529
|
6,846
|
Ķekava Municipality
|
| Balvi pronunciationⓘ
|
7,906
|
6,696
|
5,584
|
Balvi Municipality
|
| Bauska pronunciationⓘ
|
10,060
|
8,988
|
9,811
|
Bauska Municipality
|
| Brocēni pronunciationⓘ
|
3,411
|
3,117
|
2,834
|
Saldus Municipality
|
| Cēsis pronunciationⓘ
|
18,021
|
16,888
|
14,699
|
Cēsis Municipality
|
| Cesvaine pronunciationⓘ
|
1,668
|
1,443
|
1,210
|
Madona Municipality
|
| Dagda pronunciationⓘ
|
2,502
|
2,108
|
1,805
|
Krāslava Municipality
|
| Dobele pronunciationⓘ
|
11,152
|
9,702
|
8,589
|
Dobele Municipality
|
| Durbe pronunciationⓘ
|
620
|
542
|
483
|
South Kurzeme Municipality
|
| Grobiņa pronunciationⓘ
|
4,218
|
3,861
|
3,593
|
South Kurzeme Municipality
|
| Gulbene pronunciationⓘ
|
8,807
|
7,779
|
6,715
|
Gulbene Municipality
|
| Iecava (pronunciationⓘ)
|
5,921
|
5,481
|
5,343
|
Bauska Municipality
|
| Ikšķile pronunciationⓘ
|
4,052
|
7,359
|
7,448
|
Ogre Municipality
|
| Ilūkste pronunciationⓘ
|
2,856
|
2,502
|
2,082
|
Augšdaugava Municipality
|
| Jaunjelgava pronunciationⓘ
|
2,246
|
1,999
|
1,713
|
Aizkraukle Municipality
|
| Kandava pronunciationⓘ
|
4,225
|
3,831
|
3,276
|
Tukums Municipality
|
| Kārsava pronunciationⓘ
|
2,420
|
2,105
|
1,843
|
Ludza Municipality
|
| Koknese pronunciationⓘ
|
2,710
|
2,511
|
2,427
|
Aizkraukle Municipality
|
| Krāslava pronunciationⓘ
|
10,160
|
8,653
|
6,854
|
Krāslava Municipality
|
| Kuldīga pronunciationⓘ
|
12,755
|
11,275
|
9,940
|
Kuldīga Municipality
|
| Ķegums pronunciationⓘ
|
2,487
|
2,271
|
2,059
|
Ogre Municipality
|
| Ķekava
|
8,048
|
8,103
|
5,039
|
Ķekava Municipality
|
| Lielvārde pronunciationⓘ
|
6,837
|
6,369
|
5,853
|
Ogre Municipality
|
| Līgatne pronunciationⓘ
|
1,239
|
1,094
|
1,009
|
Cēsis Municipality
|
| Limbaži pronunciationⓘ
|
8,501
|
7,498
|
6,613
|
Limbaži Municipality
|
| Līvāni pronunciationⓘ
|
8,934
|
7,939
|
6,790
|
Līvāni Municipality
|
| Lubāna pronunciationⓘ
|
1,873
|
1,667
|
1,453
|
Madona Municipality
|
| Ludza pronunciationⓘ
|
9,575
|
8,387
|
7,524
|
Ludza Municipality
|
| Madona pronunciationⓘ
|
8,734
|
7,646
|
6,561
|
Madona Municipality
|
| Mazsalaca pronunciationⓘ
|
1,474
|
1,264
|
1,113
|
Valmiera Municipality
|
| Mārupe
|
7,754
|
21,229
|
16,544
|
Mārupe Municipality
|
| Olaine pronunciationⓘ
|
12,667
|
11,342
|
9,908
|
Olaine Municipality
|
| Pāvilosta pronunciationⓘ
|
1,134
|
980
|
851
|
South Kurzeme Municipality
|
| Piltene pronunciationⓘ
|
1,053
|
904
|
821
|
Ventspils Municipality
|
| Pļaviņas pronunciationⓘ
|
3,692
|
3,248
|
2,823
|
Aizkraukle Municipality
|
| Preiļi pronunciationⓘ
|
7,970
|
6,817
|
5,841
|
Preiļi Municipality
|
| Priekule pronunciationⓘ
|
2,441
|
2,091
|
1,810
|
South Kurzeme Municipality
|
| Rūjiena pronunciationⓘ
|
3,377
|
2,912
|
2,650
|
Valmiera Municipality
|
| Sabile pronunciationⓘ
|
1,404
|
1,552
|
1,369
|
Talsi Municipality
|
| Salacgrīva pronunciationⓘ
|
3,281
|
2,823
|
2,480
|
Limbaži Municipality
|
| Salaspils pronunciationⓘ
|
18,159
|
18,698
|
17,826
|
Salaspils Municipality
|
| Saldus pronunciationⓘ
|
12,306
|
10,869
|
9,553
|
Saldus Municipality
|
| Saulkrasti pronunciationⓘ
|
3,299
|
3,176
|
3,149
|
Saulkrasti Municipality
|
| Seda pronunciationⓘ
|
1,547
|
1,248
|
1,092
|
Valmiera Municipality
|
| Sigulda pronunciationⓘ
|
11,168
|
11,191
|
14,632
|
Sigulda Municipality
|
| Skrunda pronunciationⓘ
|
2,468
|
2,118
|
1,767
|
Kuldīga Municipality
|
| Smiltene pronunciationⓘ
|
5,763
|
5,349
|
5,129
|
Smiltene Municipality
|
| Staicele pronunciationⓘ
|
1,152
|
951
|
766
|
Limbaži Municipality
|
| Stende pronunciationⓘ
|
1,868
|
1,743
|
1,532
|
Talsi Municipality
|
| Strenči pronunciationⓘ
|
1,404
|
1,140
|
957
|
Valmiera Municipality
|
| Subate pronunciationⓘ
|
749
|
663
|
549
|
Augšdaugava Municipality
|
| Talsi pronunciationⓘ
|
11,201
|
10,070
|
8,649
|
Talsi Municipality
|
| Tukums pronunciationⓘ
|
19,961
|
18,414
|
16,318
|
Tukums Municipality
|
| Valdemārpils pronunciationⓘ
|
1,396
|
1,343
|
1,135
|
Talsi Municipality
|
| Valka pronunciationⓘ
|
6,047
|
5,181
|
4,564
|
Valka Municipality
|
| Vangaži pronunciationⓘ
|
3,999
|
3,649
|
3,192
|
Ropaži Municipality
|
| Varakļāni pronunciationⓘ
|
2,106
|
1,897
|
1,653
|
Varakļāni Municipality
|
| Viesīte pronunciationⓘ
|
1,902
|
1,615
|
1,510
|
Jēkabpils Municipality
|
| Viļaka pronunciationⓘ
|
1,525
|
1,364
|
1,172
|
Balvi Municipality
|
| Viļāni pronunciationⓘ
|
3,468
|
3,035
|
2,749
|
Rēzekne Municipality
|
| Zilupe pronunciationⓘ
|
1,746
|
1,511
|
1,271
|
Ludza Municipality
|
See also
References
External links
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Former counties (dissolved before 1949) | |
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Former districts (dissolved 2009) | |
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List of places in Europe |
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States with limited recognition | |
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Dependencies and other entities | |
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| Sovereign states | |
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States with limited recognition | |
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