Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Latvia instead of Bulgaria, you would:

Economy

make 13.5% more money

Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $33,300 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 51.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Bulgaria, 4.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

pay a 2.3 times higher top tax rate

Bulgaria has a top tax rate of 10.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 39.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Bulgaria, approximately 8.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Latvia, on the other hand, 4.8 children do as of 2022.

be 2.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Bulgaria, approximately 7.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 19.7% more likely to have internet access

In Bulgaria, approximately 75.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 11.8% less on healthcare

Bulgaria spends 8.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 50.0% more on education

Bulgaria spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 40.7% more coastline

Bulgaria has a total of 354 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria.

Latvia: At a glance

Latvia is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 62,249 sq km. The name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.). The region subsequently came under the control of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and finally, Russians. A Latvian republic emerged following World War I, but it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 28% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the eurozone in 2014.
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How big is Latvia compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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