Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Latvia instead of Russia, you would:
Health
live 3.0 years longer
In Russia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
be 28.8% less likely to die by suicide
Russia has a suicide rate of 21.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Latvia, it is 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 26.7% more likely to be obese
In Russia, 17.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.
have 33.5% fewer doctors per person
Russia has 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Latvia has 34.0 as of 2022.
Economy
make 50.0% more money
Russia has a GDP per capita of $17,547 as of 2025, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $26,312 as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Russia, 2.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Russia, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.
Life
be 46.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Russia, approximately 4.1 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.
be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Russia, approximately 9.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Latvia, 19.0 women do as of 2023.
have 17.9% fewer children
In Russia, there are approximately 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Latvia, there are 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Geography
see 98.7% less coastline
Russia has a total of 37,653 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.
Safety
be 63.1% less likely to be murdered
Russia has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Latvia, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 17.0% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Russia, 90% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 75% as of 2020.
Infrastructure
live with 75.2% less strain on fresh water
Russia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.
use 48.3% less electricity
Russia uses 7,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Latvia uses 3,768 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 73.9% less CO2
Russia emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Latvia emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Russia vs. Latvia
Latvia: At a glance
How big is Latvia compared to Russia? See an in-depth size comparison.