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

Health

live 7.7 years longer

In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 68 years (67 years for men, 70 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 4.5 times more likely to be obese

In Madagascar, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 22.0 times more money

Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2022, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $33,000 as of 2022.

be 68.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Madagascar, 70.7% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2021.

be 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Madagascar, 1.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 6.8% as of 2022.

pay a 15.0% higher top tax rate

Madagascar has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 95.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Madagascar, approximately 392.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 29.2% more likely to be literate

In Madagascar, the literacy rate is 77.3% as of 2021. In Latvia, it is 99.9% as of 2021.

be 87.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Madagascar, approximately 39.0 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 69.9% fewer children

In Madagascar, there are approximately 27.6 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 2.8 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Madagascar, approximately 35% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Latvia, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

be 4.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Madagascar, approximately 20.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

be 77.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Madagascar, approximately 56% of people have improved drinking water access (85% in urban areas, and 38% 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 93.5% more on education

Madagascar spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 92.3% more on healthcare

Madagascar spends 3.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 89.7% less coastline

Madagascar has a total of 4,828 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, General Direction of Taxes.

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 Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.

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