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

Health

be 18.2% less likely to be obese

In Latvia, 22.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 18.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 43.5% less likely to die by suicide

Latvia has a suicide rate of 15.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Namibia, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 18.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Latvia, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 9.0% of people as of 2024.

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live 8.9 years less

In Latvia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 64.8% less spent on your healthcare

Latvia spends $3,034 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Namibia spends $1,068 as of 2023.

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have 83.7% fewer doctors per person

Latvia has 34.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Namibia has 5.5 as of 2022.

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have 16.0% less access to essential health services

Latvia scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Namibia scores 63 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In Latvia, 6.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Namibia, that number is 19.3% as of 2025.

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make 81.5% less money

Latvia has a GDP per capita of $26,312 as of 2025, while in Namibia, the GDP per capita is $4,876 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.8 times more children

In Latvia, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Namibia, there are 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 7.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Latvia, approximately 19.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Namibia, 139.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 12.3% less likely to be literate

In Latvia, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2021. In Namibia, it is 87.6% as of 2023.

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be 16.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Latvia, approximately 2.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Namibia, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 43.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Latvia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 57% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 30.0% less likely to have internet access

In Latvia, approximately 92.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Namibia, about 64.9% do as of 2024.

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be 12.4% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Latvia, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 87% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.1 times more on education

Latvia spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Namibia spends 9.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 30.2% more on healthcare

Latvia spends 7.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 9.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 3.2 times more coastline

Latvia has a total of 498 km of coastline. In Namibia, that number is 1,572 km.

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Safety

be 4.5 times more likely to be murdered

Latvia has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Latvia, road accidents kill 9.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Namibia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 69.6% less strain on fresh water

Latvia withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Namibia withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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find 89.0% less home broadband

Latvia has 25.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Namibia has 2.8 as of 2024.

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use 67.3% less electricity

Latvia uses 3,768 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Namibia uses 1,232 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 67.1% less CO2

Latvia emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Namibia: At a glance

Namibia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 823,290 sq km. South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.
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How big is Namibia compared to Latvia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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