Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Latvia fits inside Belarus 3.2 times
Belarus: 207,629 km² (2024) · Latvia: 64,590 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Belarus: 0 km (2026 edition) · Latvia: 498 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Belarus’ highest peak towers 34 m above Latvia’s
Belarus: 346 m (2026 edition) · Latvia: 312 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 39% of Belarus, versus 32% of Latvia
Belarus: 39.1% (2024) · Latvia: 31.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Belarus has 4.9 times as many people as Latvia
Belarus: 9.09 million (2025) · Latvia: 1.85 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belarus is 51% more densely populated than Latvia
Belarus: 45 per km² (2025) · Latvia: 30 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Latvia are 2.5 cm taller than in Belarus
Belarus: 178.7 cm (2019) · Latvia: 181.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Latvia are 1.9 cm taller than in Belarus
Belarus: 166.9 cm (2019) · Latvia: 168.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Latvia is 2.5 years older than in Belarus
Belarus: 40.5 years (2023) · Latvia: 43.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Latvia and Belarus are practically level
Belarus: 1.22 children per woman (2024) · Latvia: 1.24 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
22% of people in Latvia are 65 or older, versus 18% in Belarus
Belarus: 18.3% (2025) · Latvia: 22.2% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Latvia hosts 3.9 times as many refugees per resident as Belarus
Belarus: 4.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Latvia: 17.6 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Latvia has produced 5.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Belarus 4.4
Belarus: 4.4 (2026) · Latvia: 5.4 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belarus has 2 official languages, Latvia 1
Belarus: 2 (2026) · Latvia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belarus’ economy is 92% larger than Latvia’s
Belarus: $93.4 billion (2025) · Latvia: $48.6 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Latvia produces 33% more per person than Belarus
Belarus: Int$34,716 (2025) · Latvia: Int$46,137 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Latvia than in Belarus (Gini 9.6 points higher)
Belarus: 24.4 (2020) · Latvia: 34 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Latvia and Belarus are practically level
Belarus: 0% (2020) · Latvia: 0.4% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.6% in Latvia, versus 3.4% in Belarus
Belarus: 3.4% (2025) · Latvia: 6.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Latvia spends 3.6% of its GDP on the military, Belarus 2.4%
Belarus: 2.4% (2025) · Latvia: 3.6% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Latvia’s central government collects 18% of GDP in tax, Belarus’ 13%
Belarus: 13% (2024) · Latvia: 17.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Latvia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.9× Belarus’
Belarus: 30% (2025) · Latvia: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Latvia spends 2.9 times as much on health per person as Belarus
Belarus: $558 (2023) · Latvia: $1,645 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Latvia live 2.1 years longer than in Belarus
Belarus: 74.4 years (2024) · Latvia: 76.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Latvia is 22% more likely to die before turning one than in Belarus
Belarus: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Latvia: 2.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Belarus has 39% more doctors per person than Latvia
Belarus: 4.7 per 1,000 (2023) · Latvia: 3.4 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Belarus has 2 times as many hospital beds per person as Latvia
Belarus: 9.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Latvia: 5 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Belarus is 36% higher than in Latvia
Belarus: 18.7 per 100k (2023) · Latvia: 13.7 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
28% of adults in Latvia are obese, versus 26% in Belarus
Belarus: 26.1% (2024) · Latvia: 27.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
35% of adults in Latvia smoke, versus 29% in Belarus
Belarus: 29.2% (2024) · Latvia: 34.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Latvia rate their lives 0.54 points higher than in Belarus
Belarus: 5.82 (2021) · Latvia: 6.37 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Latvia drink 26% more alcohol than in Belarus
Belarus: 11.3 litres (2023) · Latvia: 14.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Belarus has 35% more meat per person than Latvia
Belarus: 111.7 kg (2023) · Latvia: 82.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belarus has 54 kcal more food per person per day than Latvia
Belarus: 3,396 kcal (2023) · Latvia: 3,342 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Belarus put in 250 more hours a year than in Latvia
Belarus: 1,875 hours (2023) · Latvia: 1,625 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Latvia went to school 1.1 years longer than in Belarus
Belarus: 12.3 years (2023) · Latvia: 13.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Latvia welcomed 6.3 times as many tourists per resident as Belarus (2019)
Belarus: 0.16 (2022) · Latvia: 1.01 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
Belarus has 1 more World Heritage site than Latvia (4 against 3)
Belarus: 4 (2026) · Latvia: 3 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Belarus has won 105 Olympic medals, Latvia 33
Belarus: 105 (2026 edition) · Latvia: 33 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Belarus are online, versus 93% in Latvia
Belarus: 94% (2024) · Latvia: 93% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Belarus: no data · Latvia: 201 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Belarus and Latvia are practically level
Belarus: 100% (2024) · Latvia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in Belarus live in cities, versus 69% in Latvia
Belarus: 79% (2025) · Latvia: 69% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Belarus has 131 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Latvia 121
Belarus: 131 (2024) · Latvia: 121 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Belarus’ railway network is 2.9 times as long as Latvia’s
Belarus: 5,474 km (2021) · Latvia: 1,859 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Latvia fly 17 times as many passengers per resident as those from Belarus
Belarus: 0.15 (2023) · Latvia: 2.42 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 56% of Latvia, but only 44% of Belarus
Belarus: 44.1% (2024) · Latvia: 55.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belarus emits 79% more CO₂ than someone in Latvia
Belarus: 6.2 t (2024) · Latvia: 3.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
73% of Latvia’s electricity is renewable, versus 4.8% in Belarus
Belarus: 4.8% (2025) · Latvia: 73% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Belarus carries 2% more fine dust than in Latvia
Belarus: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Latvia: 12.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5% more likely to be murdered in Latvia than in Belarus
Belarus: 2.4 per 100k (2019) · Latvia: 2.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Latvia are 64% deadlier than in Belarus
Belarus: 10.2 per 100k (2023) · Latvia: 16.7 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Belarus is on average 0.7 °C warmer than Latvia
Belarus: 8.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Latvia: 7.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Latvia gets 3% more rain than Belarus
Belarus: 750 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Latvia: 769 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Belarus bigger than Latvia?
Belarus is larger. Latvia fits inside Belarus 3.2 times.
Which has more people, Belarus or Latvia?
Belarus has 4.9 times as many people as Latvia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belarus or Latvia?
People in Latvia live 2.1 years longer than in Belarus. Life expectancy at birth is 74.4 years in Belarus and 76.4 in Latvia.
Are people taller in Belarus or Latvia?
Men in Latvia are 2.5 cm taller than in Belarus (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
