Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 19.7% less likely to be obese

In Canada, 29.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Latvia, that number is 23.6% of people as of 2016.

live 7.9 years less

In Canada, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 76 years (71 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 30.3% lower top tax rate

Canada has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Latvia, the top tax rate is 23.0% as of 2016.

make 32.7% less money

Canada has a GDP per capita of $49,000 as of 2022, while in Latvia, the GDP per capita is $33,000 as of 2022.

be 29.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Canada, 5.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Latvia, that number is 6.8% as of 2022.

be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Canada, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2008. In Latvia, however, that number is 22.5% as of 2021.

Life

be 63.6% more likely to die during childbirth

In Canada, approximately 11.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Latvia, 18.0 women do as of 2020.

be 10.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Canada, approximately 4.4 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 18.4% fewer children

In Canada, there are approximately 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Latvia, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 41.9% less on healthcare

Canada spends 12.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Latvia, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 15.4% more on education

Canada spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Latvia spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 99.8% less coastline

Canada has a total of 202,080 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, Canada Revenue Agency.

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 Canada? See an in-depth size comparison.

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