Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 72.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Suriname, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2019.

live 3.5 years longer

In Suriname, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 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 10.6% less likely to be obese

In Suriname, 26.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 98.9% more money

Suriname has a GDP per capita of $19,000 as of 2023, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

be 15.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Suriname, 7.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 67.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Suriname, 70.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

pay a 39.5% lower top tax rate

Suriname has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 81.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Suriname, approximately 96.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 84.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Suriname, approximately 30.2 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 44.3% fewer children

In Suriname, there are approximately 14.9 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 36.1% more likely to have internet access

In Suriname, approximately 66.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 20.0% more on education

Suriname spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 10.3% more on healthcare

Suriname spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 29.0% more coastline

Suriname has a total of 386 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, Ministry of Finance.

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.
Read more

How big is Latvia compared to Suriname? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Latvia.or Suriname It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.