'Husband' rentals on rise in this country due to man drought

These women were forced to enact a special “man-date.”
A nationwide shortage of men in Latvia has increasingly forced women to hire “husbands for an hour” to help with their household chores.
According to a recent report by Eurostat, Latvia boasts 15.5% more women than men – over three times the average rate in the European Union, according to local media. Meanwhile, over the age of 65, there are twice as many women as men, per the World Atlas.
As a result, the Baltic country has found itself woefully bereft of suitable male prospects — like something out of the “Wicker Man.”
Single lady Dania, who works at festivals, claimed that 98% of her colleagues are women, the Sun reported.
“There’s nothing wrong with that… but just for the good balance, you would want to have some more men to flirt or chat with,” she lamented. “It’s just more interesting.”
“That’s why all my friends have gone abroad and found boyfriends there,” seconded her friend Zane.
To fill this countrywide husband void, women like Dania are increasingly turning to services that allow them to rent-a-hubby for a short time to help out around the house.
This might sound like the beginning of a bad skin flick, but there’s been a boom in platforms such as Komanda24, where for a few Euros, women can enlist “Men With Golden Hands” to do plumbing, carpentry, repairs and even mounting a TV — and all without any awkward pickup lines or dates.
Meanwhile, Remontdarbi.lv’s service allows women to “husband for an hour” online or by phone, whereupon they’ll show up within the hour à la a slightly more suggestive TaskRabbit service.
Upon arrival, these glorified handymen will do everything, including painting walls, fixing curtains, and other outstanding chores amid the Latvian male drought.
Why such an extreme gender discrepancy? Experts attribute this imbalance in part to men having a far lower life expectancy due to ill health and lifestyle choices, the World Atlas reported.
“Men are about three times more likely to smoke, with 31% of the male population smoking compared to just 10% of the female population,” the site noted. “Men are also slightly more likely to be obese or overweight, with 62% of men being overweight or obese compared to 57% of women.”
Renting husbands isn’t relegated to across the pond, either.
In 2022, mother of three Laura Young went viral after renting out her hubby James out to other women to do odd jobs for extra cash.
The lucrative business, dubbed “Rent My Handy Husband,” sees James go over and do everything, including general DIY, painting, decorating, tiling and carpet laying.
James, 42, is currently booked up for the month of November on jobs, for which he charges $44 per hour and about $280 for a day rate. Their business has become so popular, they said, that they even had to turn down jobs.