Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 8.9 years less

In Japan, the average life expectancy is 85 years (82 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (71 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.5 times more likely to be obese

In Japan, 4.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 58.9% lower top tax rate

Japan has a top tax rate of 56.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

make 18.4% less money

Japan has a GDP per capita of $46,300 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Japan, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 39.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Japan, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2013. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

Life

have 20.3% more children

In Japan, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Latvia, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 4.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Japan, approximately 4.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Japan, approximately 1.9 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.

Expenditures

spend 31.2% less on healthcare

Japan spends 10.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 76.5% more on education

Japan spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 98.3% less coastline

Japan has a total of 29,751 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 Tax Agency Japan.

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 Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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