Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 51.3% more likely to be obese

In Malaysia, 15.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 12.5% more money

Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $33,600 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

pay a 17.9% lower top tax rate

Malaysia has a top tax rate of 28.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

be 69.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Malaysia, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 3.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Malaysia, 6.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

Life

be 26.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Malaysia, approximately 6.6 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.

have 41.5% fewer children

In Malaysia, there are approximately 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Latvia, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 53.8% more on education

Malaysia spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 82.9% more on healthcare

Malaysia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 89.3% less coastline

Malaysia has a total of 4,675 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, Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia.

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 Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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