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

Health

be 28.9% less likely to be obese

In Hungary, 31.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 45.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Hungary, 4.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.

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be 86.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Hungary, 12.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

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Life

be 29.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Hungary, 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.

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be 58.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In Hungary, approximately 12.0 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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have 15.9% fewer children

In Hungary, there are approximately 8.2 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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Expenditures

spend 13.7% more on education

Hungary spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Latvia spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 14.3% more on healthcare

Hungary spends 6.4% 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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Safety

be 3.5 times more likely to be murdered

Hungary has a homicide rate of 0.7 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 32.4% more likely to die in a road accident

In Hungary, road accidents kill 7.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Latvia, they kill 9.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 87.4% less strain on fresh water

Hungary withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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find 31.4% less home broadband

Hungary has 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Latvia has 25.8 as of 2024.

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use 21.7% less electricity

Hungary uses 4,812 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Latvia uses 3,768 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 18.2% less CO2

Hungary emits 4.5 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 (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). 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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How big is Latvia compared to Hungary? See an in-depth size comparison.

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