Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Latvia instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
be 17.2% less likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Latvia, it is 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.9 years less
In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
see 59.5% less spent on your healthcare
Belgium spends $7,489 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Latvia spends $3,034 as of 2023.
have 12.8% less access to essential health services
Belgium scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Latvia scores 75 as of 2021.
Economy
be 11.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.
be 82.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.
make 56.7% less money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $26,312 as of 2025.
Life
be 29.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Belgium, approximately 3.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Latvia, on the other hand, 2.2 children do as of 2024.
be 4.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Belgium, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Latvia, 19.0 women do as of 2023.
have 25.0% fewer children
In Belgium, there are approximately 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Latvia, there are 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.2% less on education
Belgium spends 6.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Latvia spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 32.6% less on healthcare
Belgium spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 7.5 times more coastline
Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.
Safety
be 21.3% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Belgium, 62% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Latvia, that number is 75% as of 2020.
be 2.3 times more likely to be murdered
Belgium has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Latvia, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Latvia, they kill 9.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 98.1% less strain on fresh water
Belgium withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 41.8% less home broadband
Belgium has 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Latvia has 25.8 as of 2024.
use 46.9% less electricity
Belgium uses 7,099 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Latvia uses 3,768 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 50.1% less CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Latvia emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Belgium, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Latvia, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Belgium vs. Latvia
Latvia: At a glance
How big is Latvia compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.