Lifelong learning is learning activities undertaken throughout a personís life and enabling each citizen to improve their qualification or acquire a new one according to the labour market demands, oneís own interests and needs. In the article the author addresses the role of lifelong learning in Latvia and worldwide due to the increasing importance of lifelong learning in the life of each individual. In Latvia it was not before 2006 that a debate started on the role of lifelong learning, its goals and ways of implementation. The study indicates it is time that Latvia like other countries (e.g. Nordic countries) started the implementation of strategies set by the documents concerning lifelong learning. Moreover, an issue of increasing importance is financing ñ who, when, how and from what sources will implement lifelong learning activities, one of the key issues of the European Union within the area of human resource education. Aim of the article: to study the role of lifelong learning in Latvia and in the world in order to anticipate the perspectives of the future development of lifelong learning. Tasks: 1. Review and analyse theoretical and legal aspects of lifelong learning. 2. Study and analyse the trends of development of lifelong learning in Latvia and in the world. 3. Make conclusions on the basis of the analysis concerning future development of lifelong learning in Latvia. Research object ñ lifelong learning trends. Qualitative (literature study and analysis, observations) and quantitative (surveying, statistical data processing) research methods were applied to reach the aims.