Educational opportunities

There are four higher education institutions and 9 vocational education institutions. The curriculum of these educational institutions is subordinated to the demand of economic sectors. In 2018, 43.8 thousand people aged 15-74 had higher education and 70.8 thousand had vocational education or vocational secondary education.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the most popular industry in Latgale with largest share of turnover and number of employees. Developments are observed in the production of organic food, milk and meat, as well as cereals. The establishment of a milk processing cluster with a modern and developed infrastructure is a precondition for further growth of dairy farming.

Natural resources

561.8 thou ha (39% of the total area of the region) are occupied by forest lands, of which 66% – higher than in other regions of Latvia are occupied by deciduous trees. Agricultural land occupies 45% of the region's territory. Also there are significant reserves of minerals, which are used mainly in construction, agriculture and energy.

Developed industry

Industry is mainly concentrated in the largest cities of the region – Daugavpils and Rezekne. EU funding has contributed to the growth and modernization of the manufacturing sector, as well as attracting global investors. The largest economic share in the industrial sector is in metalworking and mechanical engineering – 43%.

Support opportunities

Investments are positively influenced by 2 Special Economic Zones – Rezekne Special Economic Zone and Latgale Special Economic Zone. The development of the manufacturing sector is favorably influenced by the available qualified specialists, state and municipal support programs for the development of industrial zones.

Convenient location

Characterized by location on the EU eastern border and the adjacent regions of Pskov and Vitebsk. Daugavpils is the nearest city of 100 thou. inhabitants, about 155 thou. Lithuanian border residents. Plenty of EU importance road and rail connections with important destinations – Riga, Pskov, Vilnius, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Vitebsk and Moscow.

Infrastructure

Daugavpils regional airport project is being implemented, with the aim of becoming a national significance airport. Well developed communication infrastructure, providing high-quality data transmission. Natural gas supply through the main gas pipeline Riga-Daugavpils, which is connected to Inčukalns underground gas storage.

Labour pool

In 2019, 260 226 inhabitants lived in Latgale, which is 13.55% of the total population in Latvia. The total working age population in region is 61.5% (160 134 inhabitants), which is similar in percentage to the national average. The average salary in Latgale is the lowest in Latvia and amounts to 701 EUR per month, which is 70% of the average salary in Latvia.