Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.4 years longer

In Kazakhstan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (67 years for men, 77 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 12.4% more likely to be obese

In Kazakhstan, 21.0% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 34.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Kazakhstan, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 4.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Kazakhstan, 5.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

pay a 2.3 times higher top tax rate

Kazakhstan 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 74.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Kazakhstan, approximately 19.2 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 38.5% more likely to die during childbirth

In Kazakhstan, approximately 13.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

have 51.7% fewer children

In Kazakhstan, there are approximately 17.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Latvia, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 33.3% more on education

Kazakhstan spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 97.4% more on healthcare

Kazakhstan spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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 Kazakhstan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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