A significant demographic imbalance in Latvia, with women outnumbering men by 15.5%, has led to a unique social trend where single women are increasingly hiring handymen for household chores through services marketed as "husband for an hour."
A striking gender gap in the Baltic nation of Latvia is reshaping daily life and household management. According to Eurostat, the European Union's statistics office, women outnumber men in Latvia by 15.5%—a rate more than three times the EU average. This demographic reality is driving a practical response: the rise of services that allow women to rent a handyman, often advertised with the playful tagline "husband for an hour."
Local women cite the shortage as a tangible social issue. "There's nothing wrong with that… but just for the good balance, you would want to have some more men to flirt or chat with," Dania, a festival worker, told *The Sun*. She noted that 98% of her colleagues are women, a common experience that has led many of her friends to seek partners abroad.
To manage household tasks traditionally handled by a partner, women are turning to digital platforms like Komanda24 and Remontdarbi.lv. These services connect users with skilled tradespeople—marketed as "Men With Golden Hands"—who can quickly arrive to handle repairs, painting, furniture assembly, and other chores for an hourly fee. The phenomenon mirrors similar small businesses seen elsewhere, such as a UK-based "Rent My Handy Husband" service that went viral in 2022.
Demographers attribute Latvia's severe gender imbalance primarily to a lower life expectancy for men, driven by factors like higher rates of smoking and obesity compared to women. For women aged 65 and over, the ratio is nearly two women for every man.
The trend highlights how broad demographic shifts can inspire innovative, market-based solutions for everyday challenges, transforming a national statistic into a new niche in the service economy.
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