Although women constitute 55 % of the adult population (aged 21+), they hold only 30 % of seats in the Latvian parliament, resulting in a 25-percentage-point underrepresentation. This reveals a substantial misalignment between the demographic composition of the adult population and its reflection in elected office. Notably, the Speaker of Parliament is a woman, and 5 out of 16 parliamentary committees are chaired by women. Conversely, men – who make up 45 % of the adult population – occupy 70 % of seats, indicating significant overrepresentation.
 

The current parliament exhibits a strong concentration of higher educational attainment. Half of all MPs hold a Master’s degree, 29 possess a Bachelor’s degree (ISCED 6), and 11 have doctoral-level qualifications (ISCED 8). In contrast, only a small number of deputies have lower levels of formal education: eight members completed upper secondary education (ISCED 3) or short-cycle tertiary qualifications (ISCED 5). This distribution points to a highly credentialed legislature compared with the general population, of which only 30.3 % have higher education qualifications (ISCED 5–8).

The Latvian parliament is dominated by middle-aged representatives, particularly those in their thirties, forties, and fifties. Younger adults are almost absent from the Saeima despite making up a larger share of the population, while citizens over 70 are also underrepresented. With a median age of 48, parliamentary representation is concentrated in the middle stages of life, leaving both younger and older generations with a weaker voice in legislative decision-making.

The Saeima is overwhelmingly dominated by highly educated professionals and managers, who account for more than four in five MPs. Workers, service-sector employees, technical specialists, and people from lower-income backgrounds are largely absent. Parliamentary recruitment is also highly selective: nearly four-fifths of MPs entered the Saeima through established political career paths, often after serving in local government or other political offices. This concentration of political power among upper professional groups and career politicians limits the diversity of social experiences represented in parliamentary decision-making and reinforces the perception of politics as a closed professional sphere.

Electoral participation is geographically uneven. Suburban and economically dynamic municipalities around Riga often exceed 70% turnout, while many municipalities in Latgale regularly fall below 55%, with some as low as 50%. Regional differences closely track income levels, with wealthier municipalities showing significantly higher participation.

Voter turnout differs between Latvian- and Russian-speaking citizens. Russian-speaking voters participate less frequently, with the gap reaching around 12 percentage points in 2022. This reflects a persistent ethnolinguistic divide in electoral participation.

Turnout in Latvia is strongly age-dependent. Citizens aged 45–59 and 60+ consistently show the highest participation rates, while those under 30 remain the least active voters. Although youth turnout has improved since 2006, a substantial gap with older cohorts persists. The imbalance is also reflected in political representation at the local level, where younger citizens remain largely absent from elected office.

Educational attainment is one of the strongest predictors of electoral participation. Citizens with tertiary education vote at consistently high levels (around or above 80%), while those with low education remain the least active, with turnout often between 55% and 65%. The resulting gap of roughly 36 percentage points highlights a persistent inequality in political voice along educational lines.

Income and occupational class are closely linked to voter turnout. High-income citizens and those in upper service occupations regularly report turnout rates above 80–85%, while low-income groups and the unemployed are significantly less likely to vote. Public sector employees also participate more than private sector workers, although this gap has narrowed slightly in recent elections.

Women in Latvia consistently vote at slightly higher rates than men. However, the difference is modest compared to gaps based on age, education, and income, making gender a secondary factor in electoral participation.