Estonia vs Latvia
Estonia vs Latvia: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 1% of the labour force in Estonia and 0.92% of the labour force in Latvia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Estonia, by 0.08 percentage points, or 1.09 times that in Latvia.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Estonia has been higher since 2008, when it overtook Latvia.
- In 2020, Estonia ranked 69 and Latvia ranked 76 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Estonia | Latvia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0.92 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0.61 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.95 | 0.69 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.86 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.93 | 0.53 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.94 | 0.53 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.85 | 0.53 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.85 | 0.52 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.84 | 0.51 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.84 | 0.52 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.84 | 0.43 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.79 | 0.52 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 1.01 | 0.43 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 1.01 | 1.49 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 1.01 | 1.52 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 1.19 | 0.46 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.89 | 0.46 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 1.2 | 0.74 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 1.24 | 0.78 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1.1 | 0.91 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 1.12 | 0.78 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 1.14 | 0.84 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.06 | 0.75 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.91 | 0.7 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.8 | 1.05 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.78 | 0.95 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.55 | 0.5 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.67 | 0.4 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.39 | 0.4 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | – | – | 1.03 |
| 1990 | – | – | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 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
- Armed forces personnelEstonia: 7,000 people in 2020Latvia: 9,000 people in 2020
- National powerEstonia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Latvia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsEstonia: 204 million TIV in 2025Latvia: 19 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsEstonia: 2 million TIV in 2024Latvia: 1 million TIV in 2025