Latvia and its southern neighbor are among the developing world’s best places for ethical travel, according to a California-based non-profit organization whose mission is “to use the power of tourism to protect human rights and the environment.”

Ethical Traveler gauged countries in the developing world according to a variety of measures of environmental protection, social welfare and human rights, the organization announced Dec. 9 upon releasing its report.

Latvia and Lithuania scored “particularly high” on the social welfare measure of child mortality rates, according to Ethical Traveler.

However, Ethical Traveler’s report also noted that no country is perfect and said Latvia, Lithuania and Poland should do more to prevent discrimination against ethnic and sexual minorities.

Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are joined in the Top 10 by Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Paulu and Uruguay. Lithuania also made the list last year, as did Argentina, Chile and Poland. Estonia made the list in 2008.

Unclear from Ethical Traveler’s report is what makes a nation “developing” rather than developed. The International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook database groups all three Baltic countries among “emerging and developing economies.”

Its list, Ethical Traveler’s report suggests, can be used by tourists to “vote with our wings.”

“These destinations may not always be as glamorous as Paris, or as modern as Singapore,” Ethical Traveler’s Jane Esberg, Jeff Greenwald and Natalie Lefevre wrote in their summary of the results. “But they’re rich in natural wonders, and alive with fascinating culture. They’re also committed to conserving their natural treasures, while building economies that sustain and empower local communities. Our visits to these countries acknowledges these efforts, and inspires neighboring nations to embrace similar values.”

The Ethical Traveler organization, according to its website, “is dedicated to educating travelers about the social and environmental impact of their decisions, showing how travel can be a potent form of diplomacy, and giving travelers a forum through which their united voices can serve the world community.”

Latvia’s population will have dropped by 19,000 individuals come the end of this year, which is a larger decline than experienced in 2009, according to the Central Statistical Bureau in Rīga.

The forecast is based on analysis of provisional data from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) and from civil registry offices that record births, deaths and marriages, the statistical bureau’s Elmīra Seņkāne announced Dec. 17.

At the close of 2010, Latvia’s population will be 2.229 million, the data suggest. Continued emigration from Latvia and a drop in the birth rate contributed to the population decline.

The total number of emigrants this year could reach 10,000, OCMA data show. Already in the first 10 months of 2010 the number of emigrants—8,800—topped last year’s total of 7,400. Meanwhile, immigration to Latvia has slowed.

At the same time, the number of children born in Latvia is decreasing. From 2004-2008, according to Seņkāne, a slight increase in births was recorded. The number of births in 2008 reached 23,900, the highest number since 1994. However, last year the number dropped to 21,600. This year, the statistical bureau warned, births will not top 20,000.

Also registering a continued decline is the number of marriages. While the drop this year compared to 2009 will not be large, from 2008 to 2009 the number of marriages in Latvia decreased by 3,000 to about 9,900, according to the data.

Death appears to be the one constant, according to the data. The number of deaths in Latvia this year figures to be about 29,000, or about the same as in 2009.