How did Soviet-era immigration change the ethnic makeup of Estonia and Latvia?

During the Soviet era, massive immigration from Russia and other parts of the U.S.S.R. fundamentally altered the ethnic makeup of Estonia and Latvia. This influx, combined with declining native birth rates and the forced deportation of indigenous populations, significantly decreased the proportion of native peoples in both countries.12

In Estonia, ethnic Estonians comprised nearly 90 percent of the population before World War II; by 1990, this figure had fallen to approximately 60 percent. Similarly, by the end of the 20th century, the native Latvian population in Latvia had dropped to slightly more than one-half of the total.12

This demographic shift was most pronounced in major urban centers, where the percentage of native inhabitants was even lower. The immigrant population, largely consisting of industrial workers and administrative personnel, was disproportionately represented in the Communist Party and ruling structures. In Latvia, efforts to nativize the political elite during the late 1950s and early 1960s ultimately failed, leading to a purge of native officials and resulting in a higher degree of Russification compared to its neighbors.21