Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 20.2 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 56 years (53 years for men, 58 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 2.8 times more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 8.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 25.2 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 65.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 19.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 58.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Somalia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

Life

be 97.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Somalia, approximately 621.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 94.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Somalia, approximately 86.5 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 77.8% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 37.4 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 2.0 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Somalia, approximately 49% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Latvia, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 6.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 14.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

be 18.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Somalia, approximately 84% of people have improved drinking water access (96% in urban areas, and 74% 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 20.0 times more on education

Somalia spends 0.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 83.5% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 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 Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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