The excess mortality indicator takes the number of deaths from any cause in a given period and compares it with a historical baseline from previous years (the figures exclude the Covid-19 epidemic so as to provide a more consistent picture).
While the data may not be headline-grabbing stuff, a look at the Latvian figures show some steady progress in reducing levels of excess mortality.
In June 2024, excess mortality in the EU slightly increased to 3.3% above the baseline. However, Latvia was among 8 countries in which the excess mortality rate was negative: Bulgaria (-6.2%), Slovakia (-6.2%), Hungary (-5.3%), Latvia (-5.1%) and Italy (-4.4%). On the other hand, 19 EU countries registered excess deaths: the highest rates were observed in Cyprus (28.9%), Ireland (15.3%), the Netherlands (15.0%), Luxembourg (14.1%), Portugal (11.2%) and Malta (10.3%).
2,049 deaths were recorded in Latvia in June 2024, with more than a quarter of those (595) being registered in Rīga.
Looking at the data over a longer period, Latvia manages to record a negative figure (which means fewer excess deaths) on a regular basis. While such improvements are likely to be at least in part due to a high original baseline figure, the trend dies suggests Latvia is heading in generally the right direction in reducing its number of excess deaths.
You can explore the figures for yourself and compare Latvia with its EU peers using the tool below.
