Network Latvia
Qualitative market research agency in Latvia
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Latvia, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to shop-alongs and UX research, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Latvia has a population of 1.85 million and a median age of 43.6, and 93.9 per cent of residents are online (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Riga holds about a third of Latvia's residents and most of its head offices. Latvian is the official language, Russian is spoken at home by a large minority, and a study in Latvia decides at the start how both are heard.
AT A GLANCE
Latvia at a glance for researchers
- Population. 1.85 million people, median age 43.6, 69.0 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Riga and its region dominate the economy. Daugavpils, in the south-east, is the second city and mostly Russian-speaking. Liepāja and Ventspils are ports on the Baltic coast, and Jelgava lies just south of the capital. Riga is the capital, on the Daugava river, and the busiest airport of the Baltic countries is there.
- Languages. Latvian is the official language. Russian is the home language of a large minority, in Riga and in the east around Daugavpils, and each participant chooses the language of the session. Our moderators live in Latvia and work in both.
- Internet and mobile. 1.74 million internet users, 93.9 per cent of the population, and 2.72 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Median download speeds reach 127.07 Mbps on mobile and 108.25 Mbps on fixed lines (same source). Social media counts 1.42 million user identities, 76.8 per cent of the population, so online sessions reach every town.
- Where fieldwork happens. Riga first, then Daugavpils for the east, Liepāja for the coast and Jelgava or Valmiera for smaller towns. Rural areas are reached online. Beyond Riga, we use hotel or office meeting rooms, or meet online.
- Data protection. The GDPR applies, as in every member state of the European Union. Every participant hears what will be recorded and for what purpose, and agrees before the session starts.
- Timing. 23 and 24 June, Līgo and Jāņi, are the main summer holiday, and many people leave the cities for the countryside. July is slow. 4 May and 18 November are national days. Summer weekends empty Riga for the seaside at Jūrmala.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Latvia?
In Latvia, Riga is a different market from the rest of the country. Incomes, retail chains and the share of Russian speakers change between the capital, the eastern region of Latgale and the coastal towns. A study in Latvia chooses its cities for those differences. A study in Latvia states which of them it is describing.
- Riga, then one contrast. Most studies start in Riga and add one city that differs from it: Daugavpils for the east, Liepāja for the coast. Each is recruited by people who live there and reported apart. Jelgava or Valmiera stand for smaller towns when the product depends on them.
- Latvian and Russian. The screener asks which language each participant speaks at home. Groups run in one language at a time, with a native-speaking moderator, and stimulus is prepared in both. Recruiters are native speakers of the language they recruit in.
- Follow the basket. Shop-alongs cover the supermarket chains, the Riga Central Market and online grocery orders. We note what is bought on promotion and what is brought back from Estonia or Lithuania. Receipts and loyalty apps are looked at with the participant, with their agreement.
- An ageing, shrinking population. The median age in Latvia is 43.6, and many working-age people have moved abroad. Quotas are set by age on purpose, so that older buyers, who hold much of the spending, are heard. Sessions with people over 60 are held in the daytime, in person, close to where they live.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Latvia?
- We recruit through local partners in Riga, Daugavpils and Liepāja, by city, language, age and category use. Each appointment is checked by phone twenty-four hours ahead, and quotas are set with you at the start. Participants from the countryside are interviewed online or in the nearest town.
- We reach business audiences individually and check what each person does before any interview is booked. Those who take part in research as a habit are screened out of consumer groups.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Latvia?
Most studies in Latvia run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with shop-alongs, UX research or ethnographic home visits when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, health, telecoms and B2B audiences, by video or in person | One language used for everyone |
| Focus groups | New concepts, campaigns, food and drink in Riga and Daugavpils | One Riga group taken as the national picture |
| Shop-alongs | Supermarkets, markets and pharmacies | Promotion weeks, which change the basket |
| UX research | Banking, retail and telecoms apps, in Latvian and in Russian | A translation that was never tested with native speakers |
| Home visits | Household routines, cooking and media | A first visit by a stranger, with nobody to vouch for the team |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Latvia
How much does market research cost in Latvia?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Latvia added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Adding Russian-language groups or a second city moves the price more than extra sessions in Riga. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Latvia?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A Latvian polling company fits a national survey or a media audience study. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Latvia that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Which cities should a study in Latvia cover?
Riga covers the largest share of spending in Latvia, so most studies start there. Add Daugavpils when the Russian-speaking east matters, and Liepāja or a smaller town when the product is sold nationally. Two cities are usually enough for a first read. Each added city needs its own recruiter and two or three days of fieldwork.
Should focus groups in Latvia be held in Latvian or in Russian?
Focus groups in Latvia are held in the home language of the participants, one language per group. Latvian speakers and Russian speakers can differ in media and brand preferences, and people speak more freely in their first language. We set the split with you from census shares and your customer data. Mixed groups are avoided, because one language then dominates the room.
Is Latvia similar enough to Lithuania and Estonia to run one study?
Latvia shares retailers and some brands with its neighbours, and one study can cover all three. The languages are different, though, and so are prices and media. Each country is fielded in its own language by moderators who live there, and compared on the same questions. One project manager and one report cover all three.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Latvia told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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