Latvia (Republic of Latvia)

http://www.humantruth.info/latvia.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Latvia Republic of Latvia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	39th best
Capital	Riga
Land Area	62 200km²₁
Location	Europe, Baltic States
Population	1.9m₂
Life Expectancy	73.58yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$32 803 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	LV, LVA, 428₅
Internet Domain	.lv₆
Currency	Euro (EUR)₇
Telephone	+371₈

1. Overview

#germany #russia #sweden

“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 joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“If you´ve an appetite for Europe´s lesser-known lights, a taste of Latvian life with its full-voiced choirs and art nouveau architecture should stimulate the senses. Tucked between Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, Latvia is the meat in the Baltic sandwich, the savoury middle, loaded with colourful fixings. Thick greens take the form of Gauja Valley pine forests peppered with castle ruins. Onion-domed Orthodox cathedrals cross the land from salty Liepaja to gritty Daugavpils. Cheesy Russian pop blares along the beach in Jurmala. And spicy Riga adds an extra zing as the country´s cosmopolitan nexus, and unofficial capital of the entire Baltic region.
Latvians often wax poetic about their country, calling it `the land that sings´. It seems to be in the genes; locals are blessed with unusually pleasant voices, and their canon of traditional tunes is the power source for their indomitable spirit. Latvians literally sang for their freedom from the USSR in a series of dramatic protests known as the `Singing Revolution´, and today the nation holds the Song and Dance Festival every five years, which unites thousands upon thousands of singers from across the land in splendid harmony.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Latvia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
4	Hong Kong	0.952
5	Australia	0.951
	...
36	Lithuania	0.875
37	Saudi Arabia	0.875
38	Portugal	0.866
39	Latvia	0.863
40	Croatia	0.858
41	Andorra	0.858
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
4	Luxembourg	$84 649
5	Ireland	$76 169
	...
40	Lithuania	$37 931
41	Portugal	$33 155
42	Poland	$33 034
43	Latvia	$32 803
44	Hungary	$32 789
45	Turkey	$31 033
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂_,₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂_,₁₃
1	Taiwan	28.6
2	Norway	29.4
3	Denmark	31.2
4	Sweden	32.2
5	Finland	32.6
	...
36	Chile	58.8
37	Romania	60.4
38	Greece	60.5
39	Latvia	61.1
40	Croatia	62.9
41	Monaco	63.0
	Europe Avg	57.3
	World Avg	86.1
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Latvia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Latvia's population is predicted to rise to 2.073 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.50. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population (2018)₂
Pos.		Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
4	Indonesia	267.7m
5	Pakistan	212.2m
	...
145	Lesotho	2.1m
146	Macedonia	2.1m
147	Slovenia	2.1m
148	Latvia	1.9m
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.9m
150	Bahrain	1.6m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
79	Latvia	73.6
80	Mauritius	73.6
81	Palestine	73.5
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₄
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₄
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
	...
75	Mongolia	2.48
76	Russia	1.52
77	Albania	1.51
78	Latvia	1.50
79	Czechia	1.50
80	Spain	1.50
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
4	Burkina Faso	04.7
5	Sierra Leone	04.8
	...
159	Cuba	36.2
160	Poland	36.3
161	Singapore	36.5
162	Latvia	36.7
163	Sweden	37.0
164	Bulgaria	37.0
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₆
Pos.		%₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
4	Liechtenstein	65.1%
5	Monaco	54.9%
	...
40	Seychelles	13.6%
41	Croatia	13.4%
42	UK	13.4%
43	Latvia	13.2%
44	Spain	12.8%
45	Iceland	12.5%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
	...
52	Bahamas	12.8%
53	Estonia	12.6%
54	Nicaragua	12.5%
55	Latvia	12.3%
56	Luxembourg	11.8%
57	Jordan	11.3%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #Latvia #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₈_,₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈_,₁₉
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
4	Netherlands	15.8
5	New Zealand	17.5
	...
38	Switzerland	49.6
39	Brazil	52.3
40	Hungary	52.6
41	Latvia	52.6
42	Lithuania	53.2
43	Bolivia	53.8
	Europe Avg	50.3
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

Latvia does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Latvia comes in the best 20 for commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₀. It does better than average in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁, supporting press freedom₂₂, opposing gender inequality₂₃ (but bad for Europe), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₄, freethought₂₅, LGBT equality₂₆ (but one of the worst in Europe) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₇ (but bad for Europe). But, things could still be better. Latvia does worse than average for speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Latvia

5. Latvia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #Latvia #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Europe (2020)₂₉_,₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉_,₃₀
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Norway	61.0
3	Finland	65.3
4	Switzerland	65.6
5	Italy	67.5
	...
32	Estonia	85.3
33	Ireland	87.4
34	Lithuania	92.4
35	Latvia	93.1
36	San Marino	94.5
37	Georgia	95.6
38	Andorra	97.8
	Europe Avg	82.5
q=46.

Health (2020)₂₉_,₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉_,₃₀
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
4	Singapore	42.6
5	Japan	51.0
	...
93	Bahamas	92.3
94	Lithuania	92.4
95	USA	92.4
96	Latvia	93.1
97	Cambodia	93.3
98	Ethiopia	93.3
99	Sao Tome & Principe	93.6
	World Avg	93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau₂₉.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₂₉, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₂₉.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Latvia has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Latvia does better than average in terms of its fertility rate₁₄, its adolescent birth rate₂₃ (but bad for Europe), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₁ (but high for Europe) and in its average life expectancy₁₁ (but low for Europe). But, there's bad news too. Latvia does worse than average when it comes to its immunizations take-up₃₂ and in its smoking rate₃₃ (still low for Europe). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of its suicide rate₃₄ (one of the worst in Europe) and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₅. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
79	Latvia	73.6
80	Mauritius	73.6
81	Palestine	73.5
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₅
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
	...
179	France	12.6
180	Romania	12.7
181	Bulgaria	12.7
182	Latvia	12.9
183	Luxembourg	13.0
184	Ireland	13.0
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₄
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₄
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
	...
75	Mongolia	2.48
76	Russia	1.52
77	Albania	1.51
78	Latvia	1.50
79	Czechia	1.50
80	Spain	1.50
	Europe Avg	1.61
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₃
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₃
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
	...
127	Portugal	1 113
126	Finland	1 083
125	USA	1 083
124	Latvia	1 041
123	Algeria	1 024
122	Brunei	1 023
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)₃₄
Pos.		Per 100k₃₄
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
	...
80	Belgium	39.1
81	Slovenia	44
82	Ukraine	44.8
83	Latvia	48.2
84	Japan	49.4
85	Hungary	50.6
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₁
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
4	UK	4
5	Norway	5
	...
67	Belarus	67
68	Brunei	68
69	Paraguay	69
70	Latvia	70
71	Liberia	71
72	Kazakhstan	72
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₆
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
	...
116	Albania	57.7
117	Romania	57.7
118	Netherlands	57.8
119	Latvia	57.8
120	Finland	57.9
121	Macedonia	58.1
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₃
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
	...
43	Poland	13.4
44	Bahrain	13.5
45	Malaysia	13.6
46	Latvia	13.6
47	Australia	14.1
48	UK	14.6
	Europe Avg	14.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₂
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₂
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
96	New Zealand	92.9
97	Nauru	92.9
98	USA	92.8
99	Latvia	92.8
100	Romania	92.7
101	France	92.6
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Latvia's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Finland	8.4
2	Switzerland	15.1
3	Estonia	15.8
4	Denmark	16.0
5	Belgium	16.1
	...
16	Hungary	24.2
17	Luxembourg	24.4
18	Netherlands	24.7
19	Latvia	28.2
20	France	28.8
21	Poland	34.6
22	Lithuania	35.0
	Europe Avg	41.2
q=49.

Modernity and Learning (2020)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
4	Estonia	15.8
5	Denmark	16.0
	...
23	Luxembourg	24.4
24	Netherlands	24.7
25	Singapore	27.9
26	Latvia	28.2
27	France	28.8
28	USA	29.3
29	Israel	32.2
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₃₇
2	Israel	4.11₃₇
3	Japan	3.58₃₇
4	Finland	3.17₃₇
5	Sweden	3.16₃₇
	...
51	Mali	0.66₃₈
52	Bulgaria	0.65₃₉
53	Ethiopia	0.61₃₉
54	Latvia	0.60₃₉
55	Gabon	0.58₄₀
56	Argentina	0.58₄₁
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₂
Pos.		Higher is better₄₂
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
4	Canada	100.0%
5	Finland	100.0%
6	Iceland	100.0%
7	Uzbekistan	99.9%
8	Czechia	99.8%
9	Slovakia	99.3%
10	Latvia	99.2%
11	Kazakhstan	98.6%
12	Kyrgyzstan	98.4%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2021)₄₃
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₃
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
	...
31	USA	16.3
32	Italy	16.2
33	Czechia	16.2
34	Latvia	16.2
35	Saudi Arabia	16.1
36	Israel	16.1
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₁
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
	...
10	Slovenia	10
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
13	Latvia	13
14	Bulgaria	14
15	Iceland	15
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading (2015)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better Score₄₄
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
4	Macau	1582
5	Estonia	1573
	...
29	Spain	1475
30	Czechia	1472
31	USA	1463
32	Latvia	1460
33	Italy	1456
34	Luxembourg	1450
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity (2018)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₅
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
6	Germany	10
7	UK	10
8	Sweden	10
9	Japan	10
10	Finland	10
11	Latvia	11
12	France	11
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ (2006)₄₆
Pos.		Higher is better₄₆
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4	Japan	105
5	Taiwan	105
	...
27	Australia	98
28	Denmark	98
29	USA	98
30	Latvia	98
31	Hungary	98
32	Ukraine	97
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better₄₇
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
4	Bermuda	97%
5	Andorra	97%
	...
40	Malta	80%
41	Chile	78%
42	Lithuania	77%
43	Latvia	76%
44	Lebanon	76%
45	Croatia	74%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security (2013)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better₄₈
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
4	Hong Kong	0.12
5	Mexico	0.16
	...
12	Argentina	0.27
13	Hungary	0.27
14	Peru	0.30
15	Latvia	0.33
16	Pakistan	0.38
17	Taiwan	0.44
	Europe Avg	0.80
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₄₉
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₄₉
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
	...
39	Denmark	3.1
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.1
41	Sri Lanka	2.9
42	Latvia	2.2
43	Israel	1.8
44	Italy	1.7
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Latvia only has an adequate long-term record on corruption, but in the ten years from 2012 has made improvements.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₅₀
Pos.		Lower is better₅₀
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
4	Australia	4.9
5	Indonesia	9.0
	...
135	Benin	109.4
136	Japan	109.8
137	Montenegro	110.3
138	Latvia	111.1
139	Mauritania	111.3
140	Bulgaria	112.3
	Europe Avg	75.2
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2022)₅₁
Pos.		Higher is better Points₅₁
1	Denmark	90.0
2	Finland	87.0
3	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5	Singapore	83.0
	...
36	Spain	60.0
37	St Vincent & Grenadines	60.0
38	Botswana	60.0
39	Latvia	59.0
40	Qatar	58.0
41	Czechia	56.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness (2018)₅₂
Pos.		Higher is better₅₂
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
	...
50	Lithuania	6.0
51	Slovenia	5.9
52	Romania	5.9
53	Latvia	5.9
54	Japan	5.9
55	Mauritius	5.9
	Europe Avg	6.06
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₁
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
	...
14	France	14
15	Germany	15
16	Slovenia	16
17	Latvia	17
18	Barbados	18
19	Hungary	19
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₁
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
	...
77	Slovenia	77
78	Guatemala	78
79	Tonga	79
80	Latvia	80
81	Romania	81
82	Costa Rica	82
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index (2021)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better₅₃
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
	...
32	Italy	1.65
33	UK	1.66
34	Taiwan	1.66
35	Latvia	1.69
36	Kuwait	1.69
37	Lithuania	1.69
	Europe Avg	1.69
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₁
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
	...
101	Niger	101
102	Lesotho	102
103	Antigua & Barbuda	103
104	Latvia	104
105	Laos	105
106	Mozambique	106
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₁
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
4	Sweden	4
5	Malta	5
	...
67	Kyrgyzstan	66
68	Iran	68
69	Malawi	69
70	Latvia	70
71	Guatemala	71
72	Estonia	72
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₅₄
Pos.		Lower is better Score₅₄
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
4	Equatorial Guinea	0.00
5	Cambodia	0.00
	...
31	Dominican Rep.	0.18
32	Hungary	0.18
33	Switzerland	0.19
34	Latvia	0.23
35	S. Korea	0.30
36	Macedonia	0.30
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)₅₅
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₅
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
	...
53	Laos	+06.3
54	Poland	+06.3
55	Liechtenstein	+06.2
56	Latvia	+05.8
57	Uzbekistan	+05.7
58	New Zealand	+05.1
	Europe Avg	+15.0
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₅₆
Pos.		Higher is better₅₆
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
	...
34	Slovenia	67.6
35	Trinidad & Tobago	67.4
36	St Vincent & Grenadines	66.5
37	Latvia	66.1
38	Turkmenistan	66.1
39	Seychelles	66.0
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₅₇
Pos.		Higher is better₅₇
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4	Colombia	17.54
5	Ireland	17.54
	...
51	France	09.90
52	Lebanon	09.90
53	Hungary	09.80
54	Latvia	09.80
55	Poland	09.71
56	Argentina	09.35
	Europe Avg	09.80
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
4	Vanuatu	1993 Dec 29
5	Papua New Guinea	1993 Dec 29
	...
133	Sudan	1996 Jan 28
134	S. Africa	1996 Jan 31
135	Nicaragua	1996 Feb 18
136	Latvia	1996 Mar 13
137	Singapore	1996 Mar 20
138	Syria	1996 Apr 03
	Europe Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₅₈
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₈
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
	...
130	USA	19.7%
131	Kuwait	19.6%
132	Zimbabwe	19.6%
133	Latvia	19.5%
134	Tunisia	19.3%
135	Czechia	16.0%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)₅₉
Pos.		Higher is worse₅₉
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
	...
45	Qatar	5.70
44	Bahrain	5.50
43	Lithuania	5.50
42	Latvia	5.40
41	Bosnia & Herzegovina	5.40
40	UAE	5.20
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₆₀
Pos.		Lower is better %₆₀
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
4	Czechia	25.9
5	Moldova	25.9
	...
52	Tajikistan	34.0
53	Canada	34.0
54	Cyprus	34.0
55	Latvia	34.2
56	Niger	34.3
57	Vietnam	35.3
	Europe Avg	31.5
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_latvia #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)₄₅
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₅
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4	Switzerland	9
5	Denmark	9
6	Germany	10
7	UK	10
8	Sweden	10
9	Japan	10
10	Finland	10
11	Latvia	11
12	France	11
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₁
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₁
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
	...
21	Taiwan	24
22	New Zealand	22
23	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
25	Ukraine	20
26	Mongolia	20
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₆₂:

Christian	55.8%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	43.8%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 56.3% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 11% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)₆₃.

Freedom of Religion and Belief:

Links: