Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Latvia instead of Western Sahara, you would:

Health

live 11.4 years longer

In Western Sahara, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (71 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 15.1 times more money

Western Sahara has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2007, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $37,800 as of 2023.

Life

be 89.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Western Sahara, approximately 47.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Latvia, on the other hand, 4.8 children do as of 2022.

have 70.4% fewer children

In Western Sahara, there are approximately 28.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Latvia, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 55.1% less coastline

Western Sahara has a total of 1,110 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 Western Sahara? See an in-depth size comparison.

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