<span class="word">Exploring <span class="word">the <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Complex <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Interplay <span class="word">of <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Demographic <span class="word">and <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Socioeconomic <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Dynamics <span class="word">in <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Urban <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Shrinkage <span class="word">of <span class="word">Latvian <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Mono <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Towns

Urban shrinkage, driven by demographic and socioeconomic change, has become a pressing issue across Europe, particularly in small peripheral towns and semi-urban settlements that have historically relied on a single industry or company. This study investigates the demographic and socioeconomic factors contributing to the decline in Latvian mono-towns, thereby filling a void in empirical research on urban development in post-socialist contexts. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to a set of key demographic and socioeconomic indicators derived from census and administrative data to identify the principal dimensions driving urban shrinkage. The analysis reveals three principal components explaining 87% of the variance: socioeconomic vitality (57.1%), population change and peripherality (17.2%), and aging society dynamics (12.6%). The results contribute to a nuanced understanding of how mono-functional urban contexts shape the intensity and character of shrinkage. These results establish a basis for specific policy measures designed to promote resilience in small-settlement settings and contribute to the understanding of spatial planning and regional development approaches in the post-socialist urban transition context. The research underscores the need for context-specific approaches to address the multifaceted challenges of urban shrinkage.