Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.3 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 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 57.3% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 55.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.4 times more money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $15,800 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 3.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Palau, 1.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2015. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 57.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Palau, approximately 11.3 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 28.4% fewer children

In Palau, there are approximately 11.6 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 2.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Palau, approximately 37.2% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 11.8% less on education

Palau spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 59.2% less on healthcare

Palau spends 18.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 67.2% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 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 Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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