Crime in Latvia is relatively low, by global standards, especially compared to previous years, when it was named the "crime capital of Europe" by Forbes[1] in 2008. The number of crimes committed per 100,000 people in Latvia is 154.7 as of 2018.[2] The homicide rate in Latvia was 4.9 per 100,000 people in 2020,[3] a sharp drop from 10 cases per 100,000 people in 2000,[4] and has been steadily decreasing.[5] Although Latvia'a homicide rate is high by European Union standards,[3] it is below the world average of 6.2 per 100.000 (in 2019).[6] The United States Department of State has assessed Latvia's security rating as "medium",[7] with a moderate crime rate. In recent times, crime has been increasing, particularly due to many Latvians stranded because of the COVID-19 pandemic returning to Latvia and choosing to commit crime.[8] According to Interpol, Latvia is considered an attractive place for regional and organized criminals involved in drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, or smuggling.[9] According to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, a third of all women in Latvia have suffered some form of sexual violence or rape, while men are subjected to violence outside the family.[10]
Crime had seen massive increases in Latvia after the restoration of independence after the end of the Soviet occupation.[11] The market transition from a planned economy to a free market-economy caused great social uncertainty in Latvia, and the crime rates rose.[12] The Latvian government defines crime as "an action endangering society and entailing criminal punishment whether committed intentionally or through negligence".[13] Crimes, in particular crimes against humanity in Latvia, have also been committed by other nations, like the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany during their respective occupations of Latvia in 1940 and 1941.[14]
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: it relies on a source from 2008. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025)
Latvia is a source and destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Latvian women have been trafficked to Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom for commercial sexual exploitation. Latvian women and teenage girls have also been trafficked within the country for the same purpose. Men and women from Latvia have been trafficked to the United Kingdom for the purpose of forced labor. In addition, Latvia may have been a destination country for victims trafficked from Thailand for the purpose of forced labor,[15] and there is also an increasing risk of trafficking of individuals from Ukraine,[16] especially after the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War. From the period of 2021-2023, 111 victims of human trafficking have been identified by the Latvian government; 16 of them originated from other countries, althought the vast majority of them were Latvians. [16]
The Government of Latvia has, according to the United States Department of State not fully complied with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it has mamade significant efforts to do so.[17] The government has continued to take steps to improve victim assistance by increasing access to government funded protections. The government also demonstrated increased efforts to investigate forced labor offenses. Latvia ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol in May 2004.[18]
Latvia has demonstrated some efforts to prevent trafficking in persons, such as by taking initial steps to combat sex tourism committed by foreign visitors to the country. The Ministry of Family and Children’s Affairs has trained professionals in contact with vulnerable populations to advise potential victims of the dangers of trafficking. The Latvian government has reported no measures to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, as of 2008[update].[15]
Latvia prohibits all forms of trafficking through Section 154-1 and 154-2 of its Criminal Code, which prescribes penalties of three to 15 years’ imprisonment. These prescribed penalties are commensurate with penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. Latvia also uses non-trafficking-related laws to prosecute traffickers. At the time of a report made by the United States Department of State, the government was investigating the two cases of potential labor trafficking; however, as of 2008[update], no one has been prosecuted, convicted, or sentenced for forced labor trafficking.[15]
The U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 2 Watchlist" in 2017.[19] The country was placed at Tier 2 in 2023,[20] a ranking which it has since maintained in 2024.[17] In 2023, the Organised Crime Index gave the country a score of 5 out of 10 for human trafficking, noting that an overall backlog in criminal cases was hampering the fight against this crime.[21] The 2022 GRETA report noted that while trafficking previously involved Latvian citizens being moved out of the country, since 2019, there were more non-Latvians been moved into the country (mainly for labor).[22]
Protection
The government has made some efforts to improve victim protection. The Ministry of Welfare has provided $14,500 for the training of 271 social workers to improve the administration of victim assistance and rehabilitation services. Although the government allocated $98,000 for victim assistance in 2007, it spent only $23,000 - an increase from $10,000 spent in 2006. The government offers foreign victims legal alternatives to removal; victims who agree to assist law enforcement may apply for temporary residency and work permits. Latvia has encouraged victims to participate in investigations against their traffickers. In June 2007, the government instituted a 30-day “reflection period” during which non-Latvian victims and their dependent children are eligible for government-funded assistance and rehabilitation services while deciding whether to cooperate with law enforcement. Government authorities and two NGOs may authorize victims to obtain government assistance. Other victims have received assistance from non-government-funded NGOs. The government has provided training to law enforcement officers and specialists in orphan courts to identify victims of trafficking. The aforementioned US Department of State report states that the government did not penalize victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their being trafficked.[15]
Robbery
The robbery rate in Latvia in 2018 was 27.7 cases per 100,000, a decrease from 108.3 cases per 100,000 people in 2004.[23] Over the two years ranging from 2018 to 2020, at least 10 warehouses of trading and production have been said to be robbed.[24]
Notable examples of recent cases include the armed robbery that took place at a watch store in Riga Old Town on the 29th April 2025,[25] and bridge robberies where €17,000 worth of railings were reported to have been stolen on May 29, 2025.[26]
Robbery rate in Latvia per 100,000 people (2003-2015, 2017)[27]
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2017
72.00
51.00
51.00
46.00
46.00
41.00
40.00
31.00
Homicide
In 2020, a study conducted by Eurostat revealed that the three Baltic states had the highest homicide rates in the European Union in that year, with the homicide rate of Latvia being 4.9 per 100,000 people, followed by Lithuania (3.5) and Estonia (2.8). Latvia also had the highest proportion of women as homicide victims among EU countries (60%, compared to an EU average of 37%).[3] In 2023, Latvia recorded 79 homicides that were committed with intent, lower than the all-time high of 100 homicides per year from 2016 to 2018 but still higher than other European nations such as Finland, Greece, and Slovakia.[28]
In 2024 alone, 67 individuals had been murdered, of which 42 were considered homicides, with the remaining 25 considered intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm resulting in the victim's death.[29] The Public Broadcasting of Latvia also reports that the majority of the victims (72%) and perpetrators involved in such crimes are male.[29]
Drug trafficking and usage
According to Euronews, Latvia, along with Italy and the United Kingdom, have the worst rankings in drug usage; in Latvia, 9.1% of all adults were reported to have regularly used psychoactive substances such as opioids, cocaine, and amphetamines.[30] The most common illicit drug used by Latvians is cannabis,[31][32] used by young adults aged 15–34, and specifically by males, though drug usage is on the rise in both young adult and adult age groups in their 30s and 40s.[33]Cocaine and ecstasy are also commonly used by Latvians. Latvia is a major transit hub for the trade in heroin, which is controlled primarily by Russian organised crime groups. Drug trafficking is also common in Latvia.[34] Drug usage skyrocketed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the independence of Latvia, and by 2002 it had approached levels comparable to those seen in Western Europe.[35]
Originally, in the 1970s and 80s, drugs were produced at home, but from the 1990s onward, organized crime started manufacturing illegally-produced drugs,[36] like LSD, ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines.
Corruption
Corruption is considered a serious issue in Latvia. Transparency International gave Latvia 42 out of a rank of 180 in corruption in 2020,[37] an increase by 2 places compared to 2019,[38] when the Group of States against Corruption stated in a report that Latvia had failed in efforts to meaningfully reduce corruption.[39] The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) is the main anti-corruption agency in Latvia. In a report by Reuters, that former Bank of Latvia Governor Ilmārs Rimšēvičs had been detained in prison for accepting a bribe of 500,000 euro bribe from Latvian bank Trasta Komercbanka.[40] Frequently, people from other countries, like Russia, have money laundering schemes based in Latvia.[41]A whistleblowing law was enacted by the Saeima on 20 January 2022, with the stated goal of encouraging reporting of suspected incidents to appropriate authorities and providing proper legal protection for whistleblowers, and ensuring uninterrupted and free access to information regarding any suspected cases. [42]
According to several sources, the Latvian political system faces serious corruption. The influence of private interests involved in illegal political party funding undermines the efforts to combat political corruption.[43] According to Transparency International's Global Corruption Barometer 2013, 68% of surveyed households consider political parties to be corrupt or extremely corrupt—ranking as the most corrupt institution in Latvia. Furthermore, 55% of the surveyed households believe that the level of corruption has stayed the same and 67% of surveyed households find government efforts in the fight against corruption to be ineffective.[44] Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index scored Latvia at 59 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, Latvia ranked 38th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.[45] For comparison with regional scores, the best score among Western European and European Union countries [Note 1] was 90, the average score was 64 and the worst score was 41.[46] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 8 (ranked 180).[47]
The leading specialised anti-corruption authority of Latvia is the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB; Latvian: Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs).[48] It was established in October 2002, following the adoption of the Law on Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau on 18 April 2002.[49]
Organized crime in Latvia is common, particularly due to Latvia's position on the European continent.[50] Illegal immigration, human trafficking, and corruption are problems that organized crime groups in Latvia take advantage of frequently. As of 2014, 70 organized crime groups operate in Latvia,[51] a number which has since decreased to 12 by 2024.[52] The majority of organised criminal groups in Latvia originate from its Russian-speaking minority,[53][54] which exploited the lawlessness and shift in power dynamics that took hold in the nation after the Soviet Union's collapse.[55] Latvian organized crime networks often use front organizations such as sports associations (especially boxing) to develop protection rackets and act as a cover against law enforcement by appearing legitimate. By the late 1990s and 2000s, corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, and smuggling had become entrenched problems. International reports, including those by the U.S. Department of State and Jane’s Intelligence Review, repeatedly identified Latvia as a major center for money laundering.[53]
There were 665 refugees in Latvia in 2019, 237,966 migrants, and 181 new asylum applications in 2019;[58] in 2021, Latvia revealed it had detained 1,000 migrants, mostly from Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries along the Belarus-Latvia border.[59]
The Latvian State Police (Latvijas Valsts policija, VP) is the official national police agency of Latvia. It is also helped by international policing organizations it is a member of, like Interpol and Europol. Latvia is also a signatory to the terms of the Treaty of Lisbon, which ensures that all EU member states allow free right of immigration, asylum, and are expected to work together to combat crime.[60] In September 2014, Latvian police participated in "Operation Archimedes", an effort organized by Europol to hunt down a cargo train sending stolen cars to Tajikistan.[50]
Notes
↑ Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
