Estonia vs Latvia
Estonia vs Latvia: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 24% of GDP in Estonia and 46.9% of GDP in Latvia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Latvia, by 22.9 percentage points, or 1.96 times that in Estonia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Latvia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1998.
- In 2025, Estonia ranked 137 and Latvia ranked 88 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Estonia at 43.1% of GDP and Latvia at 54.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Estonia | Latvia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24 | 46.9 |
| 2024 | 23.5 | 46.3 |
| 2023 | 20.3 | 44.4 |
| 2022 | 19.1 | 44.4 |
| 2021 | 18.4 | 45.9 |
| 2020 | 19.1 | 44 |
| 2019 | 9 | 37.9 |
| 2018 | 8.5 | 38.3 |
| 2017 | 9.4 | 40.3 |
| 2016 | 10.2 | 41.7 |
| 2015 | 10.8 | 38.3 |
| 2014 | 11.6 | 43.1 |
| 2013 | 11.4 | 41.8 |
| 2012 | 11.2 | 44.4 |
| 2011 | 7.6 | 46.8 |
| 2010 | 8 | 48.2 |
| 2009 | 8 | 37.6 |
| 2008 | 4.7 | 19.3 |
| 2007 | 3.9 | 9 |
| 2006 | 4.7 | 10.7 |
| 2005 | 4.7 | 12.5 |
| 2004 | 5.2 | 15.3 |
| 2003 | 5.6 | 15.4 |
| 2002 | 5.7 | 15.4 |
| 2001 | 4.9 | 17.8 |
| 2000 | 5.1 | 15.1 |
| 1999 | 5.9 | 14.8 |
| 1998 | 5.4 | 9.8 |
| 1997 | 6 | – |
| 1996 | 7.3 | – |
| 1995 | 8.7 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Estonia | Latvia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27.6 | 47 |
| 2027 | 31.1 | 48.6 |
| 2028 | 34.8 | 50.3 |
| 2029 | 38.2 | 51.8 |
| 2030 | 40.8 | 53.4 |
| 2031 | 43.1 | 54.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
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
- 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