Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Latvia fits inside Russia 265 times
Latvia: 64,590 km² (2024) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 76 times as long as Latvia’s
Latvia: 498 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 5,330 m above Latvia’s
Latvia: 312 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 32% of Latvia, versus 13% of Russia
Latvia: 31.7% (2024) · Russia: 13.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 78 times as many people as Latvia
Latvia: 1.85 million (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Latvia is 3.4 times as densely populated as Russia
Latvia: 30 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Latvia are 4.5 cm taller than in Russia
Latvia: 181.2 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Latvia are 4.3 cm taller than in Russia
Latvia: 168.8 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Latvia is 3.6 years older than in Russia
Latvia: 43.1 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Russia have 0.2 more children on average than in Latvia
Latvia: 1.24 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
22% of people in Latvia are 65 or older, versus 18% in Russia
Latvia: 22.2% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Latvia hosts 213 times as many refugees per resident as Russia
Latvia: 17.6 per 1,000 (2025) · Russia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Latvia has produced 5.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Russia 2.0
Latvia: 5.4 (2026) · Russia: 2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Latvia and Russia are practically level
Latvia: 1 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 53 times the size of Latvia’s
Latvia: $48.6 billion (2025) · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Russia produces 7% more per person than Latvia
Latvia: Int$46,137 (2025) · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Latvia than in Russia (Gini 1 points higher)
Latvia: 34 (2023) · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Latvia and Russia are practically level
Latvia: 0.4% (2023) · Russia: 0.1% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.6% in Latvia, versus 2.1% in Russia
Latvia: 6.6% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.5% of its GDP on the military, Latvia 3.6%
Latvia: 3.6% (2025) · Russia: 7.5% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Latvia’s central government collects 18% of GDP in tax, Russia’s 11%
Latvia: 17.6% (2024) · Russia: 10.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Latvia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× Russia’s
Latvia: 57% (2025) · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Latvia spends 64% more on health per person than Russia
Latvia: $1,645 (2023) · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Latvia live 3 years longer than in Russia
Latvia: 76.4 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Russia is 86% more likely to die before turning one than in Latvia
Latvia: 2.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 50% more doctors per person than Latvia
Latvia: 3.4 per 1,000 (2022) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Russia has 38% more hospital beds per person than Latvia
Latvia: 5 per 1,000 (2023) · Russia: 6.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Russia is 45% higher than in Latvia
Latvia: 13.7 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 19.8 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
28% of adults in Latvia are obese, versus 21% in Russia
Latvia: 27.9% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
35% of adults in Latvia smoke, versus 27% in Russia
Latvia: 34.6% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Latvia rate their lives 0.53 points higher than in Russia
Latvia: 6.37 (2025) · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Latvia drink 36% more alcohol than in Russia
Latvia: 14.2 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 3% more meat per person than Latvia
Latvia: 82.7 kg (2023) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 186 kcal more food per person per day than Latvia
Latvia: 3,342 kcal (2023) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 461 more hours a year than in Latvia
Latvia: 1,625 hours (2023) · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Latvia went to school 1 year longer than in Russia
Latvia: 13.4 years (2023) · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Latvia: 1.01 (2019) · Russia: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Russia has 30 more World Heritage sites than Latvia (33 against 3)
Latvia: 3 (2026) · Russia: 33 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Russia has won 539 Olympic medals, Latvia 33
Latvia: 33 (2026 edition) · Russia: 539 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Russia are online, versus 93% in Latvia
Latvia: 93% (2024) · Russia: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Latvia: 201 Mbps (2026) · Russia: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Latvia and Russia are practically level
Latvia: 100% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
75% of people in Russia live in cities, versus 69% in Latvia
Latvia: 69% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Latvia 121
Latvia: 121 (2024) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 46 times as long as Latvia’s
Latvia: 1,859 km (2021) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Latvia fly 3.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Russia
Latvia: 2.42 (2023) · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 56% of Latvia, but only 51% of Russia
Latvia: 55.6% (2024) · Russia: 50.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 3.6 times as much CO₂ as someone in Latvia
Latvia: 3.5 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
73% of Latvia’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia
Latvia: 73% (2025) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Russia carries 2% more fine dust than in Latvia
Latvia: 12.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.1 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in Latvia
Latvia: 2.5 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Latvia are 25% deadlier than in Russia
Latvia: 16.7 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 13.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Latvia is on average 10.2 °C warmer than Russia
Latvia: 7.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Latvia gets 31% more rain than Russia
Latvia: 769 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Latvia bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. Latvia fits inside Russia 265 times.
Which has more people, Latvia or Russia?
Russia has 78 times as many people as Latvia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Latvia or Russia?
People in Latvia live 3 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 76.4 years in Latvia and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in Latvia or Russia?
Men in Latvia are 4.5 cm taller than in Russia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
