Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Latvia instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:

Health

be 33.3% less likely to be obese

In Saudi Arabia, 35.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 23.8% less money

Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $49,600 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 33.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Saudi Arabia, 4.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 60.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 12.3 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 39.0% fewer children

In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 13.6 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 10.2% less likely to have internet access

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 23.1% less on education

Saudi Arabia spends 7.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 31.6% more on healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 81.1% less coastline

Saudi Arabia has a total of 2,640 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 Saudi Arabia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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