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

Health

be 22.5% less likely to be obese

In Turkey, 28.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 71.5% more spent on your healthcare

Turkey spends $1,769 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Latvia spends $3,034 as of 2023.

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have 52.0% more doctors per person

Turkey has 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Latvia has 34.0 as of 2022.

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live 1.0 years less

In Turkey, the average life expectancy is 77 years (75 years for men, 80 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 5.7 times more likely to die by suicide

Turkey has a suicide rate of 2.7 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 22.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Turkey, 8.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.

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make 41.5% more money

Turkey has a GDP per capita of $18,599 as of 2025, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $26,312 as of 2025.

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be 73.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Turkey, 13.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2022.

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Life

be 72.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Turkey, approximately 8.0 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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be 26.7% more likely to die during childbirth

In Turkey, approximately 15.0 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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have 37.3% fewer children

In Turkey, there are approximately 11.0 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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Expenditures

spend 39.4% more on education

Turkey spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Latvia spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 70.1% more on healthcare

Turkey spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 93.1% less coastline

Turkey has a total of 7,200 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

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Safety

be 22.6% less likely to be murdered

Turkey has a homicide rate of 3.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Latvia, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 22.1% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In Turkey, 61% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 75% as of 2020.

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be 50.8% more likely to die in a road accident

In Turkey, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Latvia, they kill 9.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 97.9% less strain on fresh water

Turkey withdraws 48% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 32.2% less CO2

Turkey emits 5.4 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 (2020–2022), 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 Turkey? See an in-depth size comparison.

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