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

Health

live 0.9 years longer

In Brunei, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 39.8% less likely to be obese

In Brunei, 37.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 60.0% more spent on your healthcare

Brunei spends $1,896 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Latvia spends $3,034 as of 2023.

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have 80.2% more doctors per person

Brunei has 18.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Latvia has 34.0 as of 2022.

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be 5.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Brunei has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Latvia, it is 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 24.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Brunei, 5.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.

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make 18.4% less money

Brunei has a GDP per capita of $32,235 as of 2025, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $26,312 as of 2025.

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Life

be 47.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Brunei, approximately 36.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Latvia, 19.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 74.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Brunei, approximately 8.6 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.

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have 48.2% fewer children

In Brunei, there are approximately 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Latvia, there are 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 3.3 times more on healthcare

Brunei spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 3.1 times more coastline

Brunei has a total of 161 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

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Safety

be 2.7 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Brunei, road accidents kill 3.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Latvia, they kill 9.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 21.6% more home broadband

Brunei has 21.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Latvia has 25.8 as of 2024.

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live with 70.6% less strain on fresh water

Brunei withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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use 64.7% less electricity

Brunei uses 10,674 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Latvia uses 3,768 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 82.0% less CO2

Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Latvia emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 100.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Brunei, air pollution causes 20.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Latvia, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

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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