Latvia is facing an unusual social trend as a nationwide shortage of men has pushed many women to hire “husbands for an hour” to help with everyday household chores.
According to new data from Eurostat, Latvia has 15.5 percent more women than men, more than three times the European Union average. The gender gap becomes even wider among senior citizens. World Atlas reports that for Latvians above the age of 65, women outnumber men by almost two to one. The imbalance has left the Baltic nation struggling with a lack of male partners and even basic male help around the home.
According to New York Post, many women say the shortage is noticeable in daily life. To cope with this gap, more women are turning to services that let them hire a man temporarily for household tasks. Platforms like Komanda24 have grown rapidly, offering “Men With Golden Hands” who can do plumbing, carpentry, repairs and TV mounting for a small fee. Another service, Remontdarbi.lv, allows women to book a “husband for an hour” by phone or online, with workers arriving within an hour to handle chores like painting walls, fixing curtains or making small repairs.
Experts say the gender imbalance in Latvia is partly due to the lower life expectancy among men. According to World Atlas, Latvian men have higher rates of smoking, obesity and lifestyle-related health issues. Around 31 percent of men smoke compared to just 10 percent of women, and 62 percent of men are overweight or obese, slightly higher than the rate among women.
The trend of renting a husband is not limited to Latvia. In 2022, a UK mother, Laura Young, went viral for renting out her husband James to do odd jobs for extra income. Their business, called “Rent My Handy Husband,” became so popular that James was fully booked for the month and often had to turn down requests.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
