Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 75.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Russia, 1.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2017. In Latvia, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2019.

live 3.5 years longer

In Russia, the average life expectancy is 72 years (67 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.

Economy

be 96.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Russia, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 2.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Russia, 11.0% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

pay a 76.9% higher top tax rate

Russia has a top tax rate of 13.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 24.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Russia, approximately 6.4 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.

be 28.6% more likely to die during childbirth

In Russia, approximately 14.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 62.2% more on education

Russia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 98.7% less coastline

Russia has a total of 37,653 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Federal Tax Service of Russia, The World Factbook, State Revenue Service, Latvia.

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 Russia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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