Estonia vs Latvia
Estonia vs Latvia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 7,000 people in Estonia and 9,000 people in Latvia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Latvia, by 2,000 people, or 1.29 times that in Estonia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Latvia has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Estonia.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Estonia | Latvia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7,000 | 9,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 7,000 | 6,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 6,700 | 6,900 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 6,400 | 5,310 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 6,400 | 5,310 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 5,750 | 5,310 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 5,750 | 5,310 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 5,750 | 5,310 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 5,750 | 5,350 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 5,750 | 4,600 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 5,450 | 5,745 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 7,000 | 5,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 7,000 | 17,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 7,000 | 17,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 8,000 | 5,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 6,000 | 5,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 8,100 | 8,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 8,100 | 8,700 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 7,300 | 10,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 7,600 | 8,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 7,600 | 9,450 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 7,140 | 8,680 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 6,300 | 8,100 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 5,500 | 12,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 5,500 | 11,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 4,000 | 6,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 3,000 | 5,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | – | – | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | – | – | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | – | – | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | – | – | 22.2 million |
| 1940 | 18,000 | 34,000 | – |
| 1939 | 15,000 | 29,000 | – |
| 1938 | 12,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1937 | 12,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1936 | 12,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1935 | 12,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1934 | 12,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1933 | 12,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1932 | 12,000 | 24,000 | – |
| 1931 | 14,000 | 24,000 | – |
| 1930 | 14,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1929 | 15,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1928 | 16,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1927 | 19,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1926 | 18,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1925 | 19,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1924 | 21,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1923 | 21,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1922 | 16,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1921 | 16,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1920 | 16,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1919 | 16,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1918 | 16,000 | 19,000 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1992: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Estonia vs Latvia
Health
- Life expectancyEstonia: 79.2 years in 2023Latvia: 76.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEstonia: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024Latvia: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEstonia: 1.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Latvia: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterEstonia: 97% in 2022Latvia: 97.1% in 2022
- DepressionEstonia: 3.85% in 2017Latvia: 3.5% in 2017
- Suicide rateEstonia: 12.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Latvia: 17 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEstonia: 1.37 million people in 2023Latvia: 1.88 million people in 2023
- Population growthEstonia: 0% a year in 2023Latvia: -0.29% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEstonia: 1.35 births per woman in 2023Latvia: 1.34 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEstonia: 70.7% in 2025Latvia: 68.6% in 2025
- Median ageEstonia: 41.9 years in 2023Latvia: 43.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEstonia: 20.9% in 2023Latvia: 21.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateEstonia: 4.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Latvia: 4.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEstonia: 3.37% of GDP in 2025Latvia: 3.61% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEstonia: $1.44B in 2025Latvia: $1.6B in 2025
- Military spending per personEstonia: $1,164 in 2025Latvia: $929 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEstonia: 7.5% of government spending in 2025Latvia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerEstonia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Latvia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEstonia: 1% of the labour force in 2020Latvia: 0.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEstonia: 204 million TIV in 2025Latvia: 19 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsEstonia: 2 million TIV in 2024Latvia: 1 million TIV in 2025