Latvia

In 2023, gel air fresheners saw strong growth rates in both retail value and volume. These fresheners are crafted with formulations designed to impart a longer-lasting fragrance, distinguishing them from other formats and appealing to consumers…

The Latvian economy began to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, but witnessed further instability from the geopolitical problems caused by the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, alcoholic drinks reaped the benefits of the eased pandemic…

Analgesics continues to witness strong current value growth in 2023 as consumers return to normal lifestyles and are exposed to regular seasonal common colds and viruses. A high proportion of analgesics are used to tackle everyday colds and flu…

Throughout 2023, the growing population precipitated a notable uptick in the demand for away-from-home toilet paper. Various establishments, spanning restaurants, hotels, offices, and public facilities, experienced a resurgence in operations, thereby…

In Latvia, baby and child-specific products is a relatively small category in beauty and personal care. In 2023, retail volume sales declined due to further cutbacks together with the pressure of lower birth rates. Whilst lower inflation provided…

Baby food recorded further volume decline in 2023 as the birth rate in Latvia continues to decline. Also, price increases in the category have further weakened demand in 2023, depressing volume sales. Consumers have been preparing more food at home…

In 2023, Latvia is seeing a continuing decline in overall bread consumption, a key carbohydrate source. The trend is influenced by wider health and wellness trends and exacerbated by a shrinking population, which limits the potential consumer base.…

2023 was a slightly better year for the bath and shower category in Latvia. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for soap has remained robust with many consumers continuing the habit of frequent hand washing. That being said, the ongoing…

In 2023, beauty and personal care in Latvia registered strong double digit current value growth for the second consecutive year. Price inflation was less severe compared to 2022 supporting a mild recovery in consumer purchasing power, although much…

The beer category made a considerable recovery in 2022, with on-trade establishments fully re-opened from March 2022 as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were relaxed. On-trade volume sales soared as consumers returned to bars and restaurants, keen to…

In 2023, while rising prices drove retail value sales, bleach recorded a retail volume decline. This decline can be attributed to consumers using home care detergents that feature disinfectant components with safer formulations. Consumers…

Despite a return to on-the-go consumption following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, off-trade volume sales of bottled water declined in 2023. Economic uncertainty is heavily impacting sales, while the outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted…

In 2023, breakfast cereals in Latvia is experiencing stagnation, primarily due to health concerns among parents regarding sugar intake for children. In addition, the static number of children in Latvia limits the potential for market growth. The…

This report assesses the business environment in Latvia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

Retail volume sales of butter and spreads are expected to decrease during 2023, reflecting the declining population and the general trend of consuming less bread. Despite its declining average unit price, retail volume sales of the largest category,…

Off-trade volume sales stagnated in carbonates in Latvia in 2023, with a slight decline noted in retail volume as sales were challenged by rising inflation and increased price points. This led many consumers to reduce their spending on…

Volume sales of cheese are experiencing stagnation in 2023 due to its high price, which peaked in 2022 as a result of the rising cost of logistics and energy. Inflation pressure is improving in 2023; however, economic uncertainty prevails. Consumer…

While chocolate confectionery is expected to register a double digit increase in current value sales, volume sales are expected to fall slightly. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in…

Cider witnessed strong growth in 2022 and continued to gain back the losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The consumer foodservice industry returned to operating at full capacity in 2022, leading to a resurgence in demand for cider, which is…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes generated positive growth during 2022, despite the declines seen in smoking prevalence in the country over the course of the year. The main reason for this seemingly anomalous situation is the significant decline…

2022 saw significant declines in demand for cigars and cigarillos. In cigars, the sales declines registered in 2022 form part of long-term negative sales trends that have been evident in the category for many years. In cigarillos meanwhile, declining…

Retail volume sales of coffee saw a stagnant performance in 2023, as the high cost of living affected consumer purchasing behaviour. Forced to spend more on utilities and food, Latvians shifted away towards more affordable products. The market also…

In 2023, colour cosmetics in Latvia witnessed strong growth in retail volume and current value terms. Although this category is subject to fashion trends, overall demand is generally positive. With consumers fully back to normal in both their…

The commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in Latvia covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities, energy…

Off-trade sales declined in 2023, with concentrates being a relatively small category in Latvia, which registered minimal growth over the review period. While its performance was positive in 2020, with people spending more time at home, sales began…

Consumer health in Latvia continues to recover from the pandemic in 2023, with major categories seeing demand patterns rebalance as lifestyles shift back normality. Economic uncertainty is prevailing with inflation remaining high in 2023, a trend…

Cooking ingredients is expected to register muted constant value and volume growth in 2023. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening monetary policy, all have a…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in Latvia is registering moderate growth in 2023 as the category begins to stabilise post-pandemic. Retail value sales rebounded strongly 2022 after two years of decline, with lifestyles shifting back to…

A sharp rise in price inflation as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine led to higher costs in energy, logistics, animal feed and key food ingredients in 2022, which translated into significant price increases for dairy and alternatives.…

Deodorants were one of the stronger performers among beauty and personal care products in 2023. Despite the stubbornly high inflation, caused initially by the energy crisis from the war in Ukraine, deodorants registered both healthy constant value…

The return of normal lifestyles in Latvia following the COVID-19 pandemic restored growth in depilatories bringing about a solid recovery in volume sales in 2021 and 2022. Depilatories is a mature category with limited growth opportunities due to the…

Although dermatologicals continues to enjoy steady growth in 2023, current value sales have slowed down compared to the double-digit rates seen at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst spending more time at home, Latvian consumers became…

Dietary supplements registered another strong performance in 2023, with double-digit growth in current value terms. Consumers have adopted healthier habits since the pandemic, and are keen to invest more in their health and immunity. Dietary…

At the beginning of 2023, Latvians were still in the process of returning to normal professional and social activities, following the final removal of all pandemic-related restrictions. As a result, the digestive remedies category is still seeing a…

Eastern Europe’s digital development continues as consumers increasingly embrace digital services. Consumers previously suspicious of the safety of online payments began to trust and value the convenience of fast and secure online payment methods as…

Health and beauty direct selling continued to dominate retail value sales in 2022, especially through beauty and personal care products. Traditionally, direct selling in Latvia is a well-known channel for beauty products. Moreover, health and beauty…

In 2023, automatic dishwashing tablets experienced the most rapid growth in value terms, aligned with rising price points and increasing sales of dishwashers. Consumers are choosing automatic dishwashing tablets as they offer precise detergent…

Cow's milk is facing stagnating sales in 2023 as demand continues to wane due to the price increases of 2022. Rising energy costs together with logistics and ingredient costs have forced manufacturers to raise average prices. The purchase price of…

The report examines the economic landscape of Latvia and provides information on major monetary indicators, foreign trade and government finance. The economy contracted in real terms in 2023, dragged down by exports, private consumption, government…

Conditions markedly improve for the consumer in terms of edible oils in 2023. In 2022, the war in Ukraine caused edible oil prices to skyrocket in Lithuania, due to Ukraine being one of the main suppliers of sunflower oil globally. In 2023, the…

Energy drinks continued recording positive off-trade volume growth in 2023, with double-digit growth for the second year. Energy drinks registered strong growth over the review period and survived the onset of COVID-19 unscathed, with healthy retail…

The briefing introduces the 2022 Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Index which has been produced for 37 countries globally. The index seeks to assess the readiness of each country across four key pillars: Market Maturity, Income and Spending,…

Fragrances in Latvia registered a much slower performance in 2023 compared to previous years. Although fragrances are considered a staple item for the majority of consumers, demand weakened for several reasons. Economic uncertainty remained strong in…

Grocery retailers saw strong current value growth in 2022. As the situation stabilised with the reduced threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19), smaller formats like food/drink/tobacco specialists, small local grocers and convenience stores also started to…

Gum is expected to register modest volume growth in 2023, as consumers lead busy lives and often use gum as a breath freshener. In addition, gum is particularly popular among smokers, to remove any bad breath.

Following a relatively strong performance in the year prior, demand for hair care slowed in Latvia during 2023. Retail volume sales came under pressure following the price increases, although this had a positive impact on current value growth. 2023…

Herbal/traditional products remain very popular in Latvia, where they are usually used for tackling minor illnesses. Indeed, consumers in Latvia are already quite familiar with using herbal/traditional remedies for the treatment and prevention of…

In 2023, home care experienced notable growth in retail value and volume terms. Rising inflation and higher price points boosted retail value, in addition to added-value properties and eco-friendly positionings. Retail volume growth benefited from an…

Electric insecticides recorded the most robust growth in 2023, recognised for their exceptional effectiveness in combating both flying and crawling insects, making them the preferred choice among many consumers dealing with pest infestations. Many…

Retail volume sales of hot drinks in Latvia saw a static performance in 2023, as the high rate of inflation weighed heavily on consumer spending. With consumers forced to spend more on utilities and food, they shifted away from premium brands and…