Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Latvia instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

be 98.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2019.

live 10.6 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (71 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 16.6% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.6 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $11,500 as of 2020, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $29,900 as of 2020.

be 78.5% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Latvia, that number is 6.1% as of 2019.

pay a 48.9% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

be 38.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.9% as of 2018.

Life

be 84.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 119.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Latvia, 19.0 women do as of 2017.

be 81.3% less likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Latvia, on the other hand, 4.8 children do as of 2022.

have 53.0% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 18.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Latvia, there are 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 28.3% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Latvia, about 89.8% do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 38.2% less on education

South Africa spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

spend 27.5% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 82.2% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, South African Revenue Service.

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 South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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