Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.6 years longer

In Belarus, the average life expectancy is 74 years (69 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (71 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 56.5% more money

Belarus has a GDP per capita of $19,100 as of 2020, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $29,900 as of 2020.

be 7.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Belarus, 0.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Latvia, that number is 6.1% as of 2019.

be 4.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Belarus, 5.0% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.9% as of 2018.

pay a 76.9% higher top tax rate

Belarus has a top tax rate of 13.0% as of 2017. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 9.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Belarus, approximately 2.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Latvia, 19.0 women do as of 2017.

be 48.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Belarus, approximately 3.3 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.

Expenditures

spend 16.0% less on education

Belarus spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

spend 11.9% more on healthcare

Belarus spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, Ministry for Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus.

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 Belarus? See an in-depth size comparison.

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