Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.6 years longer

In Syria, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 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 15.1% less likely to be obese

In Syria, 27.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 11.4 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2015, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $33,000 as of 2022.

be 50.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 6.8% as of 2022.

be 72.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2021.

Life

be 40.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 30.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 15.6% more likely to be literate

In Syria, the literacy rate is 86.4% as of 2015. In Latvia, it is 99.9% as of 2021.

be 69.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Syria, approximately 15.9 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 61.8% fewer children

In Syria, there are approximately 21.7 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 12.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Syria, approximately 89% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Latvia, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

be 92.7% more likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 17.6% more on education

Syria spends 5.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2009. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.6 times more coastline

Syria has a total of 193 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 Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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