Which is better estonia and latvia

In Latvia, however, that number is Estonia has a top tax rate of In Latvia, the top tax rate is In Estonia, approximately 9. In Latvia, In Estonia, approximately 3.

In Latvia, on the other hand, 5. Estonia has a total of 3, km of coastline. In Latvia, that number is km. Latvia is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 62, sq km.

The name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people ca. With respect to all three elements, Lithuania has recently made more progress than the other Baltic countries. For example, due to different dynamics of the population age structure, the share of the working age population in Lithuania peaked a few years later than in Latvia and Estonia; therefore, the share of the working age population is currently higher in Lithuania.

The increase in the participation rate in Lithuania, which can be partly attributed to its low initial level, has also been quite impressive Figure 3. Figure 3. Working age population, participation rate and unemployment rate in the Baltic countries. In a similar manner, the relative income difference is determined by the components of productivity and employment. In recent years, productivity growth in Latvia has been slightly faster than in Lithuania and Estonia, partly because Latvia's initial productivity level was low, thus making it easier for it to increase beta-convergence effect.

With the productivity level increasing, structural reforms need to be pursued in order to maintain growth rates at least at the current levels. It cannot be ruled out that the official statistics have overestimated the relatively fast income growth in Lithuania during the recent years, and thus the GDP per capita gap between Lithuania and Latvia might also have been overestimated. There is a strong positive relationship between income and price levels.

It is evident both in the same country in different time periods e. The price level in Lithuania has historically been lower than in Latvia, whereas the income level has been higher Figure A1.

On the one hand, there is a reason for this — everyone who has been to Lithuania will agree that the prices in department stores are lower in the coming months, Latvians will be able to judge to what extent this is the effect of the retail giant Lidl. Car fuel prices in Lithuania are also lower, partly due to smaller excise tax rates.

Moreover, since the turn of the century prices for administrative and utility services electricity, natural gas, heat energy, postal services have been growing at a much slower pace in Lithuania than in Latvia and Estonia Figure A2.

On the other hand, one may suggest that the price level in Lithuania is underestimated, and thus real income i. GDP per capita in the prices of the base year — overestimated. In particular, Swedbank economists have pointed out that private consumption of Lithuania significantly exceeds that of Estonia and Latvia , and there seems to be no objective reason for it.

The difference in private consumption could be due to a significant statistical adjustment, which can artificially increase the estimate of Lithuania's real GDP and thus its income level. Latvijas Banka's discussion paper shows that Latvia's domestic labour reserves are far from exhausted. Thus, a higher employment rate would facilitate a significant rise in the level of income.

This is even more relevant in the context of the Covid crisis during which several thousand people have lost their jobs. Success in activating labour reserves is based on four whales. The first is education — higher quality, access to lifelong learning, opportunities to improve digital skills.

The second whale is health — better healthcare and healthier lifestyle. The third whale is tax policy — reduced tax wedge on labour income. Finally, the fourth whale is employment policy with a special focus on population groups and municipalities with particularly low employment. There is no better recipe for productivity than structural reforms. A study by the European Central Bank and Latvijas Banka shows that by introducing the best institutional practices to all EU countries, GDP per capita growth can accelerate to almost one percentage point per year Figure 4.

The number of new deaths caused by COVID coronavirus , according to the last official status report. COVID cases per 1 million inhabitants , COVID active patients 27, COVID patients in critical condition Geography 1. The percentage of land covered by forests. Forests have a key role in removing pollutants and cleansing the air. The percentage of land dedicated to agricultural use, including arable land, permanent crops, and permanent pasture. To get a better idea of how large the country is, you can compare it with a soccer field, which has 0.

It can be nice to live in big cities or countries, as a larger space may offer more options for residents and visitors. Demographics 1. The average life expectancy at birth is the number of years that the population of a country is expected to live. This metric reflects the overall quality of life. Population density shows how cramped or spread out inhabitants are. Cities or countries with high population densities can be considered overpopulated, which can be a problem if the infrastructure is underdeveloped.

Source: Wikipedia, Populous cities or countries usually offer better employment opportunities because of their large economies. Big cities attract companies and business investment, and are usually important cultural centers and research hubs. The death rate, also called crude death rate, represents the number of annual deaths per 1, people at midyear. Cities or countries with younger population have usually better development perspectives. Young societies are more dynamic and creative.

The average number of children born to each woman. For calculating the total fertility rate, it is assumed that all women live to the end of their childbearing years and give birth in alignment with the prevailing age-specific fertility rates in the country.