Latvia vs Russia
Latvia vs Russia: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 46.9% of GDP in Latvia and 16.6% of GDP in Russia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Latvia, by 30.3 percentage points, or 2.83 times that in Russia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Latvia has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Russia.
- In 2025, Latvia ranked 88 and Russia ranked 144 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Latvia at 54.9% of GDP and Russia at 30.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Latvia | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46.9 | 16.6 |
| 2024 | 46.3 | 14.8 |
| 2023 | 44.4 | 15.2 |
| 2022 | 44.4 | 15.1 |
| 2021 | 45.9 | 16.5 |
| 2020 | 44 | 19.2 |
| 2019 | 37.9 | 13.8 |
| 2018 | 38.3 | 13.6 |
| 2017 | 40.3 | 14.3 |
| 2016 | 41.7 | 14.9 |
| 2015 | 38.3 | 15.3 |
| 2014 | 43.1 | 15.1 |
| 2013 | 41.8 | 12.4 |
| 2012 | 44.4 | 11.2 |
| 2011 | 46.8 | 10.3 |
| 2010 | 48.2 | 10.1 |
| 2009 | 37.6 | 9.9 |
| 2008 | 19.3 | 7.4 |
| 2007 | 9 | 8 |
| 2006 | 10.7 | 9.8 |
| 2005 | 12.5 | 14.9 |
| 2004 | 15.3 | 20.8 |
| 2003 | 15.4 | 28.3 |
| 2002 | 15.4 | 37.6 |
| 2001 | 17.8 | 44.4 |
| 2000 | 15.1 | 55.9 |
| 1999 | 14.8 | 92.4 |
| 1998 | 9.8 | 135.2 |
| 1997 | – | 51.5 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Latvia | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47 | 19.3 |
| 2027 | 48.6 | 22.2 |
| 2028 | 50.3 | 24.8 |
| 2029 | 51.8 | 27.2 |
| 2030 | 53.4 | 29.1 |
| 2031 | 54.9 | 30.7 |
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
Latvia vs Russia
Health
- Life expectancyLatvia: 76.2 years in 2023Russia: 73.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalityLatvia: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Russia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLatvia: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Russia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterLatvia: 97.1% in 2022Russia: 76.2% in 2022
- DepressionLatvia: 3.5% in 2017Russia: 3.71% in 2017
- Suicide rateLatvia: 17 per 100,000 people in 2017Russia: 25.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLatvia: 1.88 million people in 2023Russia: 145 million people in 2023
- Population growthLatvia: -0.29% a year in 2023Russia: -0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLatvia: 1.34 births per woman in 2023Russia: 1.45 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationLatvia: 68.6% in 2025Russia: 75.3% in 2025
- Median ageLatvia: 43.1 years in 2023Russia: 39.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLatvia: 21.3% in 2023Russia: 16.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateLatvia: 4.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Russia: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingLatvia: 3.61% of GDP in 2025Russia: 7.5% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsLatvia: $1.6B in 2025Russia: $158B in 2025
- Military spending per personLatvia: $929 in 2025Russia: $1,318 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingLatvia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025Russia: 19.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelLatvia: 9,000 people in 2020Russia: 1.45 million people in 2020
- National powerLatvia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Russia: 3.82% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLatvia: 0.92% of the labour force in 2020Russia: 1.98% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLatvia: 19 million TIV in 2024Russia: 129 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsLatvia: 1 million TIV in 2025Russia: 1.94 billion TIV in 2025