Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Latvia instead of District of Columbia, you would:

Health

be 11.8% less likely to be obese

In District of Columbia, 25.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 65.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In District of Columbia, 13.6% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

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make 87.4% less money

District of Columbia has a GDP per capita of $209,167 as of 2024, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $26,312 as of 2025.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: District of Columbia vs. Latvia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Latvia is 63.1% cheaper than District of Columbia
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Size Comparison · See true size
District of Columbia is about 365 times smaller than Latvia.
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Moving from District of Columbia to Latvia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Washington vs Riga
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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 District of Columbia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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