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

Health

live 4.6 years longer

In Samoa, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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 65.3% less likely to be obese

In Samoa, 64.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 6.4 times more spent on your healthcare

Samoa spends $475 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Latvia spends $3,034 as of 2023.

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have 6.1 times more doctors per person

Samoa has 5.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Latvia has 34.0 as of 2022.

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have 36.4% more access to essential health services

Samoa scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Latvia scores 75 as of 2021.

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be 26.8% more likely to die by suicide

Samoa has a suicide rate of 12.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Latvia, it is 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 4.5 times more money

Samoa has a GDP per capita of $5,873 as of 2025, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $26,312 as of 2025.

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be 31.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Samoa, 5.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.

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Life

be 81.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Samoa, approximately 101.0 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 82.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Samoa, approximately 12.3 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 72.4% fewer children

In Samoa, there are approximately 25.0 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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Basic Needs

be 23.1% more likely to have internet access

In Samoa, approximately 75.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Latvia, about 92.7% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 20.9% less on education

Samoa spends 5.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Latvia spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 23.6% more coastline

Samoa has a total of 403 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

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Infrastructure

find 29.3 times more home broadband

Samoa has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Latvia has 25.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 17.6% more likely to die from air pollution

In Samoa, air pollution causes 34.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Latvia, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.3 times more CO2

Samoa emits 1.6 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 (2019–2022), 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 Samoa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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