Latvia paid €168.1 million from the state budget to NGOs in 2025. The funding went to 1,940 organisations — about 7% of the country’s 27,884 registered associations and foundations.
The figures are at the centre of a sharp dispute between Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and the NGO sector over possible funding cuts. Kulbergs argues that public financing should be more transparent, with clear criteria, identifiable goals and measurable results.
NGO representatives warn that broad cuts could weaken civil society and politicise decisions over which organisations receive support. The dispute is increasingly about not only how much public money goes to NGOs, but who receives it, for what purpose and under which rules.