Latvians in Sweden explained

Group:	Latvians in Sweden
Population:	9,288 (by birth)
Regions:	Stockholm, Gotland, Skåne, larger cities
Languages:	Swedish, Latvian
Related Groups:	Balts

Latvian Swedes (Swedish: svenskletter; Latvian: Zviedrijas latvieši) are Swedes of full or partial Latvian descent residing in Sweden. In 21st century people of Latvian diaspora without Swedish citizenship reside legally in Sweden as well. In 2020, there were 9,288 Latvian-born people living in Sweden.^[1] Parts of Latvia, Swedish Livonia, was a Swedish dominion in the 17th century.^[2]

Around 6,000 Latvian nationals fled to Sweden following the World War II, a total of 3,418 officially registered in 1945.^[3]

Notable people

• Janis Bubenko (born 1935), computer scientist
• Laila Freivalds (born 1942), politician
• Kārlis Princis (1893–1978), biologist
• Velta Rūķe-Draviņa (1917–2003), linguist and folklorist
• Lars Vilks (1946–2021), visual artist

See also

• Latvia–Sweden relations
• Swedish extradition of Baltic soldiers
• Swedish Livonia
• Latvian diaspora
• Immigration to Sweden
• Lithuanians in Sweden

Notes and References

1. Web site: Folkmängden efter födelseland, ålder och kön. År 2000 - 2020. 2021-09-17. Statistikdatabasen.
2. Web site: 2015-01-07 . Lettland . 2022-06-30 . Regeringskansliet . sv.
3. Web site: Lulle . Aija . 2022-03-07 . latvieši ārzemēs . 2022-06-30 . enciklopedija.lv . lv.