Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Latvia is 42% bigger than Estonia.
Estonia: 45,340 km² (2023) · Latvia: 64,590 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Estonia’s coastline is 7.6 times as long as Latvia’s.
Estonia: 3,794 km (2026 edition) · Latvia: 498 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Estonia’s highest peak towers 6 m above Latvia’s.
Estonia: 318 m (2026 edition) · Latvia: 312 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Latvia has 35% more people than Estonia.
Estonia: 1.37 million (2025) · Latvia: 1.85 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Estonia is 8% more densely populated than Latvia.
Estonia: 32 per km² (2025) · Latvia: 30 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Estonia are 1.6 cm taller than in Latvia.
Estonia: 182.8 cm (2019) · Latvia: 181.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Latvia and Estonia are practically level.
Estonia: 168.7 cm (2019) · Latvia: 168.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Latvia is 1.2 years older than in Estonia.
Estonia: 41.9 years (2023) · Latvia: 43.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Latvia have 0.1 more children on average than in Estonia.
Estonia: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · Latvia: 1.24 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Latvia and Estonia are practically level.
Estonia: 21.8% (2025) · Latvia: 22.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Latvia has produced 5.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Estonia 0.0.
Estonia: 0 (2025) · Latvia: 5.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Estonia and Latvia are practically level.
Estonia: 1 (2026) · Latvia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Latvia’s economy is 3% larger than Estonia’s.
Estonia: $47 billion (2025) · Latvia: $48.6 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Estonia produces 13% more per person than Latvia.
Estonia: Int$52,106 (2025) · Latvia: Int$46,137 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Latvia than in Estonia (Gini 3.3 points higher).
Estonia: 30.7 (2023) · Latvia: 34 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Estonia, versus 6.6% in Latvia.
Estonia: 8.3% (2025) · Latvia: 6.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Estonia and Latvia are practically level.
Estonia: 3.4% (2024) · Latvia: 3.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Estonia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Latvia’s.
Estonia: 66% (2025) · Latvia: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Estonia spends 48% more on health per person than Latvia.
Estonia: $2,438 (2024) · Latvia: $1,645 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Estonia live 2.9 years longer than in Latvia.
Estonia: 79.3 years (2024) · Latvia: 76.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Latvia is 47% more likely to die before turning one than in Estonia.
Estonia: 1.5 per 1,000 (2024) · Latvia: 2.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Estonia has 2% more doctors per person than Latvia.
Estonia: 3.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Latvia: 3.4 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
28% of adults in Latvia are obese, versus 25% in Estonia.
Estonia: 25% (2024) · Latvia: 27.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
35% of adults in Latvia smoke, versus 26% in Estonia.
Estonia: 26.1% (2024) · Latvia: 34.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Estonia rate their lives 0.04 points higher than in Latvia.
Estonia: 6.41 (2025) · Latvia: 6.37 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Latvia drink 37% more alcohol than in Estonia.
Estonia: 10.4 litres (2023) · Latvia: 14.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Latvia has 28% more meat per person than Estonia.
Estonia: 64.7 kg (2023) · Latvia: 82.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Latvia has 56 kcal more food per person per day than Estonia.
Estonia: 3,287 kcal (2023) · Latvia: 3,342 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Latvia put in 20 more hours a year than in Estonia.
Estonia: 1,606 hours (2023) · Latvia: 1,625 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Estonia went to school 0.15 years longer than in Latvia.
Estonia: 13.6 years (2023) · Latvia: 13.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Estonia welcomed 59% more tourists per resident than Latvia (2019).
Estonia: 1.61 (2022) · Latvia: 1.01 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
Latvia and Estonia are practically level.
Estonia: 92% (2024) · Latvia: 93% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Estonia and Latvia are practically level.
Estonia: 100% (2024) · Latvia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
71% of people in Estonia live in cities, versus 69% in Latvia.
Estonia: 71% (2025) · Latvia: 69% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Estonia has 151 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Latvia 121.
Estonia: 151 (2024) · Latvia: 121 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Latvia’s railway network is 80% longer than Estonia’s.
Estonia: 1,033 km (2017) · Latvia: 1,859 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Latvia fly 3,862 times as many passengers per resident as those from Estonia.
Estonia: 0 (2019) · Latvia: 2.42 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 57% of Estonia, but only 55% of Latvia.
Estonia: 57.1% (2023) · Latvia: 55% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Estonia emits 77% more CO₂ than someone in Latvia.
Estonia: 6.1 t (2024) · Latvia: 3.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
73% of Latvia’s electricity is renewable, versus 60% in Estonia.
Estonia: 59.6% (2025) · Latvia: 73% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Latvia carries 90% more fine dust than in Estonia.
Estonia: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Latvia: 12.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 63% more likely to be murdered in Latvia than in Estonia.
Estonia: 1.5 per 100k (2023) · Latvia: 2.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Latvia are 2.2 times as deadly as in Estonia.
Estonia: 4.4 per 100k (2021) · Latvia: 9.8 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Latvia is on average 0.5 °C warmer than Estonia.
Estonia: 7.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Latvia: 7.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Latvia gets 1% more rain than Estonia.
Estonia: 759 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Latvia: 769 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Estonia bigger than Latvia?
Latvia is larger. Latvia is 42% bigger than Estonia.
Which has more people, Estonia or Latvia?
Latvia has 35% more people than Estonia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Estonia or Latvia?
People in Estonia live 2.9 years longer than in Latvia. Life expectancy at birth is 79.3 years in Estonia and 76.4 in Latvia.
Are people taller in Estonia or Latvia?
Men in Estonia are 1.6 cm taller than in Latvia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
