Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 13.5 years longer

In Mali, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 65 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 2.7 times more likely to be obese

In Mali, 8.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 15.1 times more money

Mali has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 49.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mali, 44.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Mali, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 95.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mali, approximately 440.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.8 times more likely to be literate

In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.5% as of 2018. In Latvia, it is 99.9% as of 2021.

be 92.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Mali, approximately 60.6 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 79.8% fewer children

In Mali, there are approximately 41.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Latvia, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 88.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mali, approximately 53% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Latvia, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 2.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Mali, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

be 15.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Mali, approximately 86% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 76% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 36.4% more on education

Mali spends 4.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 74.4% more on healthcare

Mali spends 4.3% 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: The World Factbook.

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 Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.

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