RIGA, Dec 18 (LETA) - A vast majority of people in Latvia, or 82 percent, are generally satisfied with their lives, while 18 have expressed dissatisfaction, a Eurobarometer survey has found.

The national report on Latvia says that citizens' satisfaction with their lives has not changed significantly since spring 2024. Although Latvia has a relatively high level of life satisfaction, it is lower than the European average, as 86 percent of Europeans feel generally satisfied with their lives. It is also noted that since 2009, with the exception of the period after the Covid-19 pandemic, Latvian citizens' life satisfaction has been on an upward trend.

In the survey, respondents were asked about the main problems in their respective countries. In Latvia, 39 percent of respondents mentioned rising prices, inflation and the cost of living, while 26 percent said that healthcare was the main problem, while 24 percent mentioned the economic situation as an issue. According to the respondents, these are the three main problems facing Latvia.

The report shows that Latvian citizens' worries about the national economy has decreased by four percentage points over the last six months. Concerns about the international situation have also fallen by eight percentage points, as has concerns about unemployment, which have fallen by four percentage points.

On the other hand, Latvians' worries about healthcare have grown by four percentage points, worries about taxes have increased by five percentage points, and concerns about government debt have grown by four percentage points. These issues are seen by Latvians as serious problems.

As for the main problems facing the European Union (EU), 52 percent of Latvians consider the war in Ukraine to be the main problem, while 26 percent named immigration. Another 24 percent of Latvian respondents emphasized that the problem is the international situation. These three issues are seen as the bloc's most important problems also by the rest of EU.

A majority, or 69 percent, of Latvian citizens disagree that Latvia's future would be better if the country were not a member of the EU. However, almost a quarter, or 23 percent, of citizens believe the opposite. The share of citizens inclined to agree that Latvia's future would be better if it were not an EU member has not changed significantly since 2024. Meanwhile, across Europeans, 30 percent of respondents believe that their nation-states would have a better future if they were not EU members.

In Latvia, the Eurobarometer survey was conducted from October 10-30.