Latvia (Republic of Latvia)

Latvia Republic of Latvia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	38th 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
2. Latvia National and Social Development
3. Latvia's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Latvia's Health
6. Latvia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Latvia's Modernity and Learning
8. Latvia's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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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
	...
36=	Bahrain	0.875
36=	Lithuania	0.875
38	Portugal	0.866
39	Latvia	0.863
40=	Andorra	0.858
40=	Croatia	0.858
42	Chile	0.855
43=	Qatar	0.855
	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
	...
40	Lithuania	$37 931
41	Portugal	$33 155
42	Poland	$33 034
43	Latvia	$32 803
44	Hungary	$32 789
45	Turkey	$31 033
46	Slovakia	$30 690
47	Bahamas	$30 486
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
35	USA	57.5
36	Greece	57.7
37	Monaco	59.0
38	Latvia	59.2
39	Slovakia	59.6
40	Singapore	60.4
41	Lithuania	60.7
42	Croatia	61.8
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

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 #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

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 1.47. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
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
151	Trinidad & Tobago	1.4m
152	Estonia	1.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
79	Latvia	73.6
80	Mauritius	73.6
81	Palestine	73.5
82	N. Korea	73.3
83	Trinidad & Tobago	73.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
89	Belarus	1.50
90	Netherlands	1.49
91	Uruguay	1.48
92=	Latvia	1.47
92=	Liechtenstein	1.47
94	Channel Islands	1.47
95	Germany	1.46
96	Guam	2.55
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
159	Cuba	36.2
160	Poland	36.3
161	Singapore	36.5
162	Latvia	36.7
163=	Sweden	37.0
163=	Bulgaria	37.0
165	Denmark	37.1
166	Bosnia & Herzegovina	37.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
40	Seychelles	13.6%
41	Croatia	13.4%
42	UK	13.4%
43	Latvia	13.2%
44	Spain	12.8%
45	Iceland	12.5%
46	Libya	12.4%
47	France	12.2%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
52	Bahamas	12.8%
53	Estonia	12.6%
54	Nicaragua	12.5%
55	Latvia	12.3%
56	Luxembourg	11.8%
57	Jordan	11.3%
58	Kyrgyzstan	11.2%
59	Tajikistan	11.2%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
32	Chile	47.9
33	Poland	48.0
34	S. Korea	48.5
35	Latvia	49.4
36	Puerto Rico	50.8
37	Slovakia	51.1
	Europe Avg	47.37
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Latvia performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Latvia comes in the best 20 when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₉ and in supporting press freedom₂₀. It does better than average when it comes to supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁, opposing gender inequality₂₂ (but high for Europe), its average Freedom in the World rating, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₃, freethought₂₄, LGBT equality₂₅ (but amongst the lowest in Europe), eliminating modern slavery₂₆ (but high for Europe) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₇ (but bad for Europe).

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 (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
41=	Armenia	75.5
41=	Lithuania	75.5
43	Georgia	75.9
44	Latvia	76.0
45	Turkey	78.6
46	Bulgaria	82.8
47	Belarus	83.7
48	Romania	84.0
49	Moldova	85.0
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=52.

Health (2025)28
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank28
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
75	Cuba	75.7
76	Chile	75.8
77	Georgia	75.9
78	Latvia	76.0
79	Uruguay	76.4
80=	Vietnam	76.7
80=	UAE	76.7
82	Lebanon	76.8
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on 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, Europe and The Balkans₂₉, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₉.

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 for its adolescent birth rate₃₀ (but high for Europe), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₁ (but bad for Europe), its average life expectancy₁₁ (but bad for Europe) and in its fertility rate₁₄. Latvia doesn't do so well in other areas. Latvia does worse than average for its immunizations take-up₃₂ and in its smoking rate₃₃ (still good for Europe). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its suicide rate₃₄ (one of the worst in Europe) and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₅. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Latvia improved by +6.3yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Latvia had the lowest average fertility rate in the world throughout the 1960s (at 1.8). It has had a long-term consistent fertility rate, and is one of only 22 countries to vary by less than 1.0 each decade since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate in a single year was 2.15 in 1987.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
79	Latvia	73.6
80	Mauritius	73.6
81	Palestine	73.5
82	N. Korea	73.3
83	Trinidad & Tobago	73.0
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 Per Capita35
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
179=	France	12.6
180	Romania	12.7
181=	Bulgaria	12.7
182	Latvia	12.9
183=	Luxembourg	13.0
183=	Ireland	13.0
185	Nigeria	13.4
186=	Germany	13.4
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
89	Belarus	1.50
90	Netherlands	1.49
91	Uruguay	1.48
92=	Latvia	1.47
92=	Liechtenstein	1.47
94	Channel Islands	1.47
95	Germany	1.46
96	Guam	2.55
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better33
Pos.		201433
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
121	France	993
122	Brunei	1 023
123	Algeria	1 024
124	Latvia	1 041
125	USA	1 083
126	Finland	1 083
127	Portugal	1 113
128	Moldova	1 114
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate34
Pos.		2013 Per 100k34
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
80	Belgium	39.1
81	Slovenia	44
82	Ukraine	44.8
83	Latvia	48.2
84	Japan	49.4
85	Hungary	50.6
86=	Kazakhstan	52.4
86=	Guyana	52.4
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
67	Belarus	67
68	Brunei	68
69	Paraguay	69
70	Latvia	70
71	Liberia	71
72	Kazakhstan	72
73	Egypt	73
74=	Burundi	74
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better36
Pos.		2016 %36
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
116=	Albania	57.7
116=	Romania	57.7
118	Netherlands	57.8
119=	Latvia	57.8
120	Finland	57.9
121	Macedonia	58.1
122	Nicaragua	58.2
123=	Norway	58.3
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better30
Pos.		2022 Per 100030
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
47	Lithuania	9.7
48	Montenegro	9.7
49	UK	10.0
50	Latvia	10.5
51	China	11.1
52	Belarus	11.2
53	Malta	11.5
54	Algeria	11.6
	Europe Avg	11.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better32
Pos.		2015 Avg %32
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
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
102=	El Salvador	92.4
102=	Swaziland	92.4
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Latvia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Europe (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
21	Turkey	75.0
22	Belgium	75.3
23	Bulgaria	75.8
24	Latvia	77.7
25	Slovakia	80.8
26	Poland	81.0
27	Slovenia	82.1
28	Georgia	83.6
29	Macedonia	86.9
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
82	Botswana	76.8
83	Syria	77.4
84	Congo, (Brazzaville)	77.6
85	Latvia	77.7
86	Egypt	78.0
87	Argentina	78.5
88	Dominica	78.5
89	Iran	79.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

When it comes to its responsibility towards the environment, Latvia is positioned 85th in the world. This rank is calculated from 6 data sets. Latvia comes in the best 20 in terms of its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. It does better than average when it comes to its environmental performance₃₈ (but low for Europe), its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₉ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₀. But, there's bad news too. Latvia does worse than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₁. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better39
Pos.		Total39
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
45	Costa Rica	6.2%
46	Switzerland	6.0%
47	Belarus	5.9%
48	Latvia	5.2%
49	Tunisia	5.2%
50	Swaziland	5.1%
51	Thailand	4.7%
52	Poland	4.6%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better38
Pos.		201838
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
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
40	Albania	65.5
41	Croatia	65.5
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better40
Pos.		2022 Avg40
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
47	Pakistan	0.81
48	Comoros	0.81
49	Costa Rica	0.81
50	Latvia	0.81
51	Ghana	0.83
52	Colombia	0.83
53	Lithuania	0.83
54	Italy	0.84
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
4	Latvia	81%
5	Estonia	80%
6	Ukraine	80%
7	Finland	79%
8	Georgia	79%
9	Switzerland	78%
10	Nigeria	78%
11	Germany	76%
12	Belarus	76%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Latvia was one of the 31 countries that signed the Basel Convention during its first year.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better42
Pos.		2011 %42
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
130	USA	19.7%
131	Kuwait	19.6%
132	Zimbabwe	19.6%
133	Latvia	19.5%
134	Tunisia	19.3%
135	Czechia	16.0%
136	Estonia	15.9%
137	China	15.1%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better41
Pos.		2021 kg41
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
128	Kazakhstan	71.8
129	Estonia	72.1
130	Guyana	72.4
131	Latvia	74.0
132	Finland	74.0
133	Italy	74.3
134	Norway	74.7
135	Mexico	75.4
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Latvia's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #english #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #maths #modernity #morals #peace #politics #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
16	France	26.8
17	Hungary	29.0
18	Spain	30.0
19	Latvia	30.3
20	Lithuania	31.4
21	Poland	33.2
22	Luxembourg	33.9
23	Italy	34.0
24	Portugal	34.4
	Europe Avg	39.81
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
23	Hungary	29.0
24	Israel	29.5
25	Spain	30.0
26	Latvia	30.3
27	Hong Kong	31.2
28	Lithuania	31.4
29	Poland	33.2
30	Luxembourg	33.9
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₄. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₅.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₆

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₄.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2947
2	Israel	4.1147
3	Japan	3.5847
	...
51	Mali	0.6648
52	Bulgaria	0.6549
53	Ethiopia	0.6149
54	Latvia	0.6049
55=	Gabon	0.5850
55=	Argentina	0.5851
57	Mexico	0.5447
58=	Senegal	0.5448
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better52
Pos.		201852
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	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%
13	Georgia	98.0%
14	Slovenia	97.6%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better53
Pos.		2021 Years53
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
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
37	Tonga	16.0
38	Poland	16.0
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
10	Slovenia	10
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
13	Latvia	13
14	Bulgaria	14
15	Iceland	15
16	Bosnia & Herzegovina	16
17	Sweden	17
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better54
Pos.		2015 Score54
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
29	Spain	1475
30	Czechia	1472
31	USA	1463
32	Latvia	1460
33	Italy	1456
34	Luxembourg	1450
35	Iceland	1443
36	Croatia	1426
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better55
Pos.		2018 %55
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
8=	Sweden	10
8=	Japan	10
8=	Finland	10
11	Latvia	11
12=	France	11
12=	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better56
Pos.		200656
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
27=	Australia	98
27=	Denmark	98
27=	USA	98
27=	Latvia	98
27=	Hungary	98
32	Ukraine	97
33=	Russia	97
33=	Belarus	97
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better57
Pos.		201657
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
40	Malta	80%
41	Chile	78%
42	Lithuania	77%
43	Latvia	76%
44	Lebanon	76%
45	Croatia	74%
46=	Hong Kong	74%
46=	Cayman Islands	74%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better58
Pos.		201358
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
12	Argentina	0.27
13	Hungary	0.27
14	Peru	0.30
15	Latvia	0.33
16	Pakistan	0.38
17	Taiwan	0.44
18	Sweden	0.44
19	Romania	0.52
	Europe Avg	0.80
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better59
Pos.		2017 Ratio59
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
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
45	Argentina	1.4
46	Faroe Islands	1.4
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better60
Pos.		202460
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
25	Canada	63.4%
26	Italy	63.3%
27	Czechia	63.2%
28	Latvia	63.2%
29	Portugal	62.8%
30	Slovenia	62.3%
31	Cyprus	61.6%
32	New Zealand	61.1%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Latvia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Europe (2020)61
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank61
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
27	Romania	54.4
28	Lithuania	59.6
29	Moldova	59.7
30	Latvia	60.1
31	Kosovo	60.9
32	Serbia	61.1
33	Bulgaria	62.5
34	Albania	66.0
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	68.9
	Europe Avg	48.48
q=44.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)61
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank61
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
45	Chile	57.4
46	Lithuania	59.6
47	Moldova	59.7
48	Latvia	60.1
49	Kosovo	60.9
50	Serbia	61.1
51	Oman	61.8
52	Mongolia	62.1
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

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

World Giving Index Higher is better62
Pos.		2022 %62
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
110=	Romania	30.0
110=	Algeria	30.0
112	Pakistan	29.0
113=	Latvia	29.0
113=	Italy	29.0
113=	Armenia	29.0
116	Tunisia	28.0
117	Laos	27.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better63
Pos.		2022 Points63
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
36	Spain	60.0
37=	St Vincent & Grenadines	60.0
37=	Botswana	60.0
39	Latvia	59.0
40	Qatar	58.0
41=	Czechia	56.0
41=	Georgia	56.0
41=	Italy	56.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better64
Pos.		2024 Score64
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
48	Malta	6.3
49	Thailand	6.2
50	Slovakia	6.2
51	Latvia	6.2
52	Oman	6.2
53	Uzbekistan	6.2
54	Paraguay	6.2
55	Japan	6.1
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
14	France	14
15	Germany	15
16	Slovenia	16
17	Latvia	17
18	Barbados	18
19	Hungary	19
20	Slovakia	20
21	Poland	21
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
77	Slovenia	77
78	Guatemala	78
79	Tonga	79
80	Latvia	80
81	Romania	81
82	Costa Rica	82
83	Kuwait	83
84	Belarus	84
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better65
Pos.		2023 Score65
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
24	Norway	1.55
25	Estonia	1.56
26	Slovakia	1.58
27	Latvia	1.58
28	Sweden	1.63
29	Poland	1.63
30	Bulgaria	1.64
31=	Spain	1.65
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
101	Niger	101
102	Lesotho	102
103	Antigua & Barbuda	103
104	Latvia	104
105	Laos	105
106	Mozambique	106
107	Poland	107
108	Ukraine	108
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better31
Pos.		2017 Rank31
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
67=	Kyrgyzstan	66
68	Iran	68
69	Malawi	69
70	Latvia	70
71	Guatemala	71
72	Estonia	72
73	Guinea-Bissau	73
74	Albania	74
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better66
Pos.		2019 Score66
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	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
37	Zambia	0.31
38	Djibouti	0.32
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better67
Pos.		201967
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
39	Cuba	5.10
40	UAE	5.20
41=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	5.40
41=	Latvia	5.40
43	Lithuania	5.50
44=	Bahrain	5.50
45	Qatar	5.70
46	Kuwait	5.90
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better68
Pos.		2023 %68
1	Slovakia	24.1%69
2	Slovenia	24.3%69
3	Belarus	24.4%70
	...
74	Sudan	34.2%71
75=	Australia	34.3%72
75=	Montenegro	34.3%69
75=	Latvia	34.3%69
78	Benin	34.4%69
79	Portugal	34.6%69
80=	Iran	34.8%73
80=	Italy	34.8%69
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)55
Pos.		Lower is better %55
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
8=	Sweden	10
8=	Japan	10
8=	Finland	10
11	Latvia	11
12=	France	11
12=	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17=	Lithuania	16
17=	S. Korea	16
17=	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23=	Norway	19
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)74
Pos.		Higher is better %74
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
21	Taiwan	24
22=	New Zealand	22
22=	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
25=	Ukraine	20
25=	Mongolia	20
27	Austria	18
28=	Slovakia	17
28=	Switzerland	17
28=	Belarus	17
31	Greece	16
32=	Iceland	16
33	Spain	15
34=	Israel	15
35	Armenia	14
36=	Lithuania	13
	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 below₇₅:

Christian	55.8%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	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)₇₆.

Freedom of Religion and Belief:

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Latvia: 4.3. Freedom of Thought