Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Latvia instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 4.1 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 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 3.5 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 22.2 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

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

Life

be 83.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 78.2% less likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 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 37.1% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 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 82.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 55% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Latvia, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Geography

see 80.0% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

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 North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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