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

Health

live 5.3 years longer

In Libya, the average life expectancy is 71 years (70 years for men, 73 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 33.7% less likely to be obese

In Libya, 33.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 2.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Libya spends $1,055 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Latvia spends $3,034 as of 2023.

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have 21.0% more access to essential health services

Libya scores 62 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Latvia scores 75 as of 2021.

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be 3.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Libya 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 65.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Libya, 18.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.

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make 4.1 times more money

Libya has a GDP per capita of $6,449 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 Libya, 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 72.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Libya, approximately 7.9 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 58.2% fewer children

In Libya, there are approximately 16.5 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 36.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Libya, approximately 73% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 13.1% more likely to have internet access

In Libya, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Latvia, about 92.7% do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 71.9% less coastline

Libya has a total of 1,770 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

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Safety

be 71.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Libya, road accidents kill 34.0 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 5.7 times more home broadband

Libya has 4.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Latvia has 25.8 as of 2024.

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live with 99.9% less strain on fresh water

Libya withdraws 817% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 25.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Libya, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Latvia, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.

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emit 57.9% less CO2

Libya emits 8.7 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), 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 Libya? See an in-depth size comparison.

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