Latvia vs Russia
Latvia vs Russia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 8.2% of government spending in Latvia and 19.8% of government spending in Russia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Russia, by 11.7 percentage points, or 2.43 times that in Latvia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Russia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1998.
- In 2025, Latvia ranked 36 and Russia ranked 7 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Latvia | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.2 | 19.8 |
| 2024 | 7.4 | 18.6 |
| 2023 | 6.8 | 14.8 |
| 2022 | 5.2 | 13 |
| 2021 | 4.8 | 10.3 |
| 2020 | 5.2 | 10.6 |
| 2019 | 5.4 | 11.4 |
| 2018 | 5.4 | 11.4 |
| 2017 | 4.4 | 12.2 |
| 2016 | 4 | 14.8 |
| 2015 | 2.8 | 13.8 |
| 2014 | 2.5 | 11.8 |
| 2013 | 2.5 | 11.1 |
| 2012 | 2.4 | 10.8 |
| 2011 | 2.7 | 10.3 |
| 2010 | 2.5 | 10.1 |
| 2009 | 3.2 | 10.2 |
| 2008 | 4.5 | 9.9 |
| 2007 | 4.7 | 9.8 |
| 2006 | 5.1 | 11.2 |
| 2005 | 4.7 | 11.3 |
| 2004 | 4.8 | 11.2 |
| 2003 | 4.9 | 11.3 |
| 2002 | 4.5 | 11.1 |
| 2001 | 3 | 11.3 |
| 2000 | 2.4 | 10.8 |
| 1999 | 1.9 | 9 |
| 1998 | 1.6 | 6.9 |
- Estimate
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.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- 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
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
- 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