Patterns of internal migration during the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak in Latvia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed our daily lives in ways that might have far-reaching effects on societal norms and human behaviour. However, little research has yet been devoted to the pandemic's impact on internal migration. In this article, we analyse the interconnection between COVID-19 and internal migration in Latvia. This article aims to evaluate internal migration patterns during the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak in Latvia, using available data at the municipality level. We compare migration flow statistics from the 2011–2019 period and the single year of 2020, which marked the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Latvia. The analysis identifies similar patterns regarding internal migration activity among observed geographical units. In both time periods, the highest migration levels around Riga have been witnessed and several other large cities. Comparing these time periods highlights slightly higher migration intensity in 2020 than before COVID-19.