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

Health

be 36.2% less likely to be obese

In Uruguay, 35.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Latvia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 38.5% less likely to die by suicide

Uruguay has a suicide rate of 24.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Latvia, it is 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 1.9 years less

In Uruguay, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 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.

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have 27.3% fewer doctors per person

Uruguay has 46.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Latvia has 34.0 as of 2022.

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Economy

be 12.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Uruguay, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Latvia, that number is 6.6% as of 2025.

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be 30.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Uruguay, 17.3% 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 64.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Uruguay, approximately 6.2 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 Uruguay, 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 29.6% fewer children

In Uruguay, there are approximately 9.8 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 19.3% less on healthcare

Uruguay spends 9.0% 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 24.5% less coastline

Uruguay has a total of 660 km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is 498 km.

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Safety

be 77.8% less likely to be murdered

Uruguay has a homicide rate of 11.2 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 24.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Uruguay, road accidents kill 13.0 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 91.5% less strain on fresh water

Uruguay withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Latvia withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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find 22.1% less home broadband

Uruguay has 33.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Latvia has 25.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 2.5 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Uruguay, air pollution causes 16.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Latvia, it causes 40.0 as of 2019.

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emit 42.0% more CO2

Uruguay emits 2.6 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 (2019–2021), 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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