Religious Beliefs and Spirituality in Latvia

Latvia’s population of 2.2 million is divided into several groups and congregations when it comes to religious affiliation. Though different religions like the Lutheran, Orthodox, and Catholic faith have entered the Latvian culture, majority of the Latvians still practice traditional religious beliefs. More than 60% of the population practices the traditional religion, while about 20% belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, more than 15% belong to the Latvian Orthodox Church, and about 18% belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Other Christian religious congregations aside from the earlier mentioned are the Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witness, Methodist, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Hare Krishna, Mormons, and the Christian Scientists.

Based on historical events, the west and central parts of Latvia are dominated by the Protestant church. Latgale, in the east of Latvia, is dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. The Hindus, Jewish, and Latvian Russian Orthodox are part of the minority and are dispersed in different regions of the country. However, during the World War II, most of the country’s religious individuals and groups fled to other countries especially in the West and some were even deported to Siberia. Since then, many churches especially in the cities were demolished and destroyed by the wars.

After independence in 1991, Latvians suddenly felt an urge to go back to their respective religious affiliations which resulted to the foundation of many religious congregations. In 2003, there were 1098 congregations recorded in the country, and this number is still increasing until now. After each year, more and more church buildings were rebuilt and fixed by its believers, bringing back their devotion and faith to the Church.