Estonia vs Latvia
Estonia vs Latvia: Adult literacy
Adult literacy in 2011: 99.9% in Estonia and 99.9% in Latvia, by UNESCO estimates. In 2011 the value was higher in Latvia, by 0 percentage points, or 1 times that in Estonia.
% of adults · UNESCO
What the numbers say
- Latvia has been higher since 2011, when it overtook Estonia.
- The world as a whole: 84.7% in 2011.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | Estonia | Latvia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | – | 87.7 |
| 2023 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | – | – | 87.4 |
| 2021 | – | – | 87.2 |
| 2020 | – | – | 87 |
| 2019 | – | – | 86.8 |
| 2018 | – | – | 86.8 |
| 2017 | – | – | 86.5 |
| 2016 | – | – | 86.3 |
| 2015 | – | – | 86 |
| 2014 | – | – | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | – | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | – | 84.9 |
| 2011 | 99.9 | 99.9 | 84.7 |
| 2010 | – | – | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | – | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | – | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | – | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | 99.8 | 99.8 | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | – | – | 74.6 |
| 1989 | 99.7 | 99.5 | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | – | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | – | – | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | – | 65.6 |
| 1975 | – | – | 65.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
- Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
- 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
- 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