Assessment of the modern confessional structure of the population of the regions of Latvia

Currently, Latvia can be characterized as a multi-confessional state. In the modern religious structure of the country’s population, adherents of the three main directions of Christianity are represented approximately equally: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. However, the Latvian population census does not record the religious composition of the population. The article sets the task of assessing the modern religious structure of the population of the historical regions of Latvia (Vidzeme, Latgale, Zemagale and Kurzeme) and its capital, based on the results of sociological surveys at the country level, as well as on the results of population censuses, which asked about the religious affiliation of people. This assessment is based on the methodology developed by the authors. At the Latvian level, the results of a sociological survey of the population conducted by the Latvian agency SKDS in 2018 were used. From the national statistics for 2023, the potential religious structure of the population of Latvia and its regions was calculated based on the traditional religious affiliations of ethnic groups. This structure was then adjusted taking into account the proportion of Catholic Latvians and Orthodox Latvians based on the results of population censuses when the question on religion was asked (from 1897 to 1935). Then, modern religiosity was assessed within each of the main potential-confessional groups of the population, which turned out to be the highest in the group of the potential-Orthodox population (87%), to whom potential Catholics (85%) were slightly behind in this regard, and potential Protestants (slightly above 50%) were significantly behind. Based on the calculated national average religiosity of potential religious groups, an assessment was made of the distribution of the population of the historical regions of Latvia and the capital of the country among the three main religious groups and the non-religious part of the population.

religious mosaic, Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, potential confessional structure, non-religious population