Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.6 years less

In Greece, the average life expectancy is 81 years (79 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (71 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 40.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Greece, 11.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

pay a 52.1% lower top tax rate

Greece has a top tax rate of 48.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

be 19.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Greece, 18.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

Life

have 12.2% more children

In Greece, there are approximately 7.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Latvia, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Greece, approximately 8.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 36.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Greece, approximately 3.5 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.

Basic Needs

be 15.1% more likely to have internet access

In Greece, approximately 78.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 21.1% less on healthcare

Greece spends 9.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 36.4% more on education

Greece spends 4.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 96.4% less coastline

Greece has a total of 13,676 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, GSIS, Greece.

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 Greece? See an in-depth size comparison.

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