Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Latvia instead of Poland, you would:
Health
live 2.0 years less
In Poland, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
see 23.0% less spent on your healthcare
Poland spends $3,939 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Latvia spends $3,034 as of 2023.
have 15.7% fewer doctors per person
Poland has 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Latvia has 34.0 as of 2022.
be 11.3% more likely to die by suicide
Poland has a suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Latvia, it is 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Poland, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.
be 66.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Poland, 13.5% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.
Life
be 38.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Poland, approximately 3.6 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.
be 9.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Poland, approximately 2.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Latvia, 19.0 women do as of 2023.
Geography
see 13.2% more coastline
Poland has a total of 440 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.
Safety
be 6.8 times more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Poland, 11% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 75% as of 2020.
be 3.1 times more likely to be murdered
Poland has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 50.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Poland, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Latvia, they kill 9.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.9% less strain on fresh water
Poland withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.
use 13.8% less electricity
Poland uses 4,370 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Latvia uses 3,768 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 51.7% less CO2
Poland emits 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Latvia emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2020–2022), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Poland vs. Latvia
Latvia: At a glance
How big is Latvia compared to Poland? See an in-depth size comparison.