Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.5 years longer

In Mongolia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (67 years for men, 76 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 14.6% more likely to be obese

In Mongolia, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.3 times more money

Mongolia has a GDP per capita of $16,300 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 19.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mongolia, 27.8% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

pay a 2.3 times higher top tax rate

Mongolia 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 53.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mongolia, approximately 39.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 76.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Mongolia, approximately 20.2 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.

have 44.3% fewer children

In Mongolia, there are approximately 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Latvia, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 13.6% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Mongolia, approximately 88% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 64% 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 27.7% more on education

Mongolia spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 53.1% more on healthcare

Mongolia spends 4.9% 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, General Department of National Taxation.

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 Mongolia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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