In 2024, Latvia was the world’s leading producer of peat, accounting for 15% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement, sand and gravel, and stone. Production of mineral commodities contributed about 2.3% to Latvia’s gross domestic product (GDP). Specifically, in 2024, mining and quarrying contributed 0.49%. In 2023, the latest year for which detailed data were available, the manufacture of metals and metal products contributed 1.09% to GDP and the manufacture of nonmetallic mineral commodities, 0.69%. Latvia was the world’s leading exporter of peat; in 2024, the country exported about 2.4 million metric tons (Mt) of peat products to 118 countries, of which Germany and China received the largest amounts. Germany received about 360,000 tons (t), or 15% of peat exports by quantity, and China, about 330,000 t, or 14% of peat exports. The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Latvia is provided by the Law on Subterranean Depths, which went into effect in June 1996.
The State Environmental Service of the Republic of Latvia, a state institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia, oversees the mineral sector. Most mineral commodities were produced by private companies, both domestic and foreign owned.
