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

Health

be 20.0% less likely to be obese

In Ireland, 27.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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live 6.6 years less

In Ireland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 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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see 65.4% less spent on your healthcare

Ireland spends $8,772 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Latvia spends $3,034 as of 2023.

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have 12.3% fewer doctors per person

Ireland has 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Latvia has 34.0 as of 2022.

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be 77.9% more likely to die by suicide

Ireland has a suicide rate of 8.6 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 41.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Ireland, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.

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be 60.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Ireland, 14.0% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

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make 80.0% less money

Ireland has a GDP per capita of $131,592 as of 2025, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $26,312 as of 2025.

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Life

be 35.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Ireland, approximately 3.4 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 4.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Ireland, 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.

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have 31.0% fewer children

In Ireland, there are approximately 10.0 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 49.0% more on education

Ireland spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Latvia spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 65.6% less coastline

Ireland has a total of 1,448 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

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Safety

be 3.8 times more likely to be murdered

Ireland 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 3.5 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Ireland, road accidents kill 2.8 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 87.3% less strain on fresh water

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

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find 20.3% less home broadband

Ireland has 32.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Latvia has 25.8 as of 2024.

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use 40.2% less electricity

Ireland uses 6,298 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Latvia uses 3,768 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 39.6% less CO2

Ireland emits 6.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Latvia emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 3.1 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Ireland, air pollution causes 13.0 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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How big is Latvia compared to Ireland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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