Estonia vs Latvia
Estonia vs Latvia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 7.5% of government spending in Estonia and 8.2% of government spending in Latvia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Latvia, by 0.6 percentage points, or 1.08 times that in Estonia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Latvia has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Estonia.
- In 2025, Estonia ranked 41 and Latvia ranked 36 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Estonia | Latvia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.5 | 8.2 |
| 2024 | 7.6 | 7.4 |
| 2023 | 6.9 | 6.8 |
| 2022 | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| 2021 | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| 2020 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| 2019 | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| 2018 | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| 2017 | 5.1 | 4.4 |
| 2016 | 5.3 | 4 |
| 2015 | 5.1 | 2.8 |
| 2014 | 5.1 | 2.5 |
| 2013 | 5 | 2.5 |
| 2012 | 4.8 | 2.4 |
| 2011 | 4.5 | 2.7 |
| 2010 | 4.2 | 2.5 |
| 2009 | 3.9 | 3.2 |
| 2008 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 2007 | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| 2006 | 4.2 | 5.1 |
| 2005 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| 2004 | 5 | 4.8 |
| 2003 | 5 | 4.9 |
| 2002 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| 2001 | 4.3 | 3 |
| 2000 | 3.8 | 2.4 |
| 1999 | 3.2 | 1.9 |
| 1998 | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| 1997 | 2.9 | – |
| 1996 | 2.2 | – |
| 1995 | 2.4 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 150 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
- 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