Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Latvia instead of Sri Lanka, you would:

Health

live 1.6 years less

In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (71 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.5 times more likely to be obese

In Sri Lanka, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.9 times more money

Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $13,000 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 57.3% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

pay a 53.3% higher top tax rate

Sri Lanka has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 37.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sri Lanka, approximately 29.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 40.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Sri Lanka, approximately 8.2 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 42.8% fewer children

In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 14.5 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 34.0% more likely to have internet access

In Sri Lanka, approximately 67.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 3.2 times more on education

Sri Lanka spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 82.9% more on healthcare

Sri Lanka spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 62.8% less coastline

Sri Lanka has a total of 1,340 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department.

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 Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.

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