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

Health

be 10.4% less likely to be obese

In Colombia, 24.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 72.6% more spent on your healthcare

Colombia spends $1,758 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Latvia spends $3,034 as of 2023.

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have 34.0% more doctors per person

Colombia has 25.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Latvia has 34.0 as of 2022.

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live 1.5 years less

In Colombia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide

Colombia has a suicide rate of 5.0 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 20.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Colombia, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.

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be 29.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Colombia, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

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make 3.1 times more money

Colombia has a GDP per capita of $8,562 as of 2025, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $26,312 as of 2025.

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Life

be 67.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Colombia, approximately 59.0 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 79.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Colombia, approximately 10.5 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 47.9% fewer children

In Colombia, there are approximately 13.2 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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Basic Needs

be 16.8% more likely to have internet access

In Colombia, approximately 79.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Latvia, about 92.7% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 17.9% less on education

Colombia spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 10.6% less on healthcare

Colombia spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 84.5% less coastline

Colombia has a total of 3,208 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

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Safety

be 90.0% less likely to be murdered

Colombia has a homicide rate of 24.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 47.6% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In Colombia, 51% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 75% as of 2020.

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be 39.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Colombia, road accidents kill 16.2 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 49.5% more home broadband

Colombia has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Latvia has 25.8 as of 2024.

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live with 71.9% less strain on fresh water

Colombia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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use 2.4 times more electricity

Colombia uses 1,551 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Latvia uses 3,768 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 66.7% more likely to die from air pollution

In Colombia, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Latvia, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.0 times more CO2

Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Latvia emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), 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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