Statistics reveal: 6.7% of residents can't pay their bills, but the pool at Liepāja Olympic Center is still full of water

Latvia's Central Statistical Bureau comes forward with a revelation that's about as shocking as news that there are traffic jams in Riga. Turns out 6.7% of residents couldn't pay their utility bills or rent last year. For comparison — that's fewer people than those who regularly visit Liepāja Olympic Center, where pool heating costs more than some families' monthly budget.

This problem affects young people aged 18-24 the most — 8.8%. That's understandable, since at this age people still think apartment rent costs as much as a Netflix subscription and that electricity comes from outlets for free. While they're learning life's wisdom, the Olympic Center pool continues to be warm and full of water.

The situation is worse in cities than in rural areas — 7.2% versus 5.6%. This proves that in the countryside you can at least heat with firewood and eat homegrown potatoes, while city dwellers pay for every square meter like it's made of gold. But as my neighbor Valdis says: 'The main thing is you can go swimming at the Olympic Center when the water's cut off at home for unpaid bills.'

The good news is the situation is improving — 0.7 percentage points less than before. This means we can soon expect a miracle when everyone will be able to pay their bills AND afford a pool membership. Until that happens, in Liepāja we can be proud that we have a place to swim even when the shower at home has cold water.