Crime in Latvia is relatively low, by global standards, especially compared to previous years, when it was named the "crime capital of Europe" byForbes[1] in 2008. The number of crimes committed per 100,000 people in Latvia is 154.7 as of 2018.[2] Thehomicide rate inLatvia 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 byEuropean Union standards,[3] it is below the world average of 6.2 per 100.000 (in 2019).[6] TheUnited 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 theCOVID-19 pandemic returning to Latvia and choosing to commit crime.[8] According toInterpol, Latvia is considered an attractive place for regional and organized criminals involved indrug trafficking,arms trafficking,human trafficking, orsmuggling.[9] According to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, a third of all women in Latvia have suffered some form ofsexual violence orrape, 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 theSoviet occupation.[11] The market transition from aplanned economy to afree 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 particularcrimes against humanity in Latvia, have also been committed by other nations, like theSoviet Union andNazi Germany during their respective occupations of Latvia in1940 and1941.[14]
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Latvia is a source and destination country for men and womentrafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation andforced labor.Latvian women have been trafficked toCyprus,Denmark,Germany,Greece,Italy, theNetherlands,Norway,Spain, and theUnited Kingdom forcommercial 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 fromThailand for the purpose of forced labor,[15] and there is also an increasing risk of trafficking of individuals fromUkraine,[16] especially after the beginning of theRusso-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]
TheGovernment of Latvia has, according to theUnited 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 combatsex 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 forcommercial 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 theUnited 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'sOffice 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]
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 fortemporary 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 twoNGOs 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]
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 inRiga 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]
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72.00 | 51.00 | 51.00 | 46.00 | 46.00 | 41.00 | 40.00 | 31.00 |
In 2020, a study conducted byEurostat revealed that the threeBaltic 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 asFinland,Greece, andSlovakia[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]. ThePublic Broadcasting of Latvia also reports that the majority of the victims (72%) and perpetrators involved in such crimes are male.[29]
According toEuronews, Latvia, along withItaly and theUnited Kingdom, have the worst rankings in drug usage.[30] The most common illicit drug used by Latvians iscannabis,[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 andecstasy are also commonly used by Latvians.Drug trafficking is also common in Latvia.[34]
Originally, in the 1970s and 80s, drugs were produced at home, but from the 1990s onward, organized crime started manufacturing illegally-produced drugs,[35] likeLSD,ecstasy,cocaine andamphetamines. However, very few people are willing to seek rehabilitation programs in relation to drug addiction.[citation needed]
Corruption is considered a serious issue in Latvia.Transparency International gave Latvia 42 out of a rank of 180 in corruption in 2020,[36] an increase by 2 places compared to 2019,[37] when theGroup of States against Corruption stated in a report that Latvia had failed in efforts to meaningfully reduce corruption.[38] TheCorruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) is the main anti-corruption agency in Latvia. In a report byReuters, that formerBank of Latvia GovernorIlmārs Rimšēvičs had been detained in prison for accepting a bribe of 500,000euro bribe from Latvian bankTrasta Komercbanka.[39] Frequently, people from other countries, likeRussia, have money laundering schemes based in Latvia.[40]A whistleblowing law was enacted by theSaeima 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.[41]
According to several sources, theLatvian political system faces serious corruption. The influence of private interests involved in illegalpolitical party funding undermines the efforts to combat political corruption.[42] According toTransparency 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.[43] Transparency International's 2024Corruption 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.[44] For comparison with regional scores, the best score among Western European andEuropean Union countries[Note 1] was 90, the average score was 64 and the worst score was 41.[45] 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).[46]
The leading specialised anti-corruption authority of Latvia is theCorruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB;Latvian:Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs).[47] It was established in October 2002, following the adoption of the Law on Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau on 18 April 2002.[48] Since the start of 2020, theWhistleblowing law has entered force with the aim of encouraging reporting of violations of state interests and ensuring the functioning of mechanisms for disseminating information, as well as ensuring appropriate protection for whistleblowers.[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 itsRussian-speaking minority[53][54], which exploited the lawlessness and shift in power dynamics that took hold in the nation after theSoviet Union's collapse[55]. Latvian organized crime networks often usefront organizations such assports associations (especiallyboxing) to developprotection 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 theU.S. Department of State andJane’s Intelligence Review, repeatedly identified Latvia as a major center for money laundering.[53]
Illegal immigration is a common issue in Latvia. The main origin countries of illegal immigrants areRussia,Belarus,Ukraine, andMoldova, and from as far asIraq,Iran,Bangladesh,Vietnam, andAfghanistan.[56] Latvia, along withLithuania andPoland, claims thatBelarus has been using illegal immigrants from war-torn countries likeIraq as a way to pressure theEuropean Union into lifting its sanctions on Belarus, and as such has declared a state of emergency along theBelarus–Latvia border.[57]
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 fromIraq,Afghanistan and otherMiddle Eastern countries along theBelarus-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, likeInterpol andEuropol. Latvia is also a signatory to the terms of theTreaty of Lisbon, which ensures that all EU member states allow free right ofimmigration,asylum, and are expected to work together to combat crime.[60] In September 2014, Latvian police participated in "Operation Archimedes", an effort organized byEuropol to hunt down a cargo train sending stolen cars toTajikistan.[50]
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