CONFERENCELatvia among Word Countries by Standard of Living in the 1930s and Today
Janis Turlajs
Jana Seta map Publishers Ltd
DOI: 10.22364/fg.16.5
Keywords: standard of living, Latvia, Human Development Index, historical periods
Abstract
In the article, the author presents the main results of his research – the degree of prosperity that the Latvian state has been able to provide to its population since establishing the state in comparison to other world countries, taking the eve of World War II as the reference point, which coincides with the beginning of the end of the first Latvian free state, and today. In the article it is explained how justified the myths about “good old times of president Ulmanis”, spread among the population during occupation and later, were compared to other world countries, and the myths about Latvia as a “failed state” devised by the Kremlin propaganda lately. In the conclusion part of the article, it is stated that from 181 analysed world economies that nowadays comprise 99.94% of the world’s population, Latvia ranks 45th by the Human Development Index, which is 27 places lower than in 1938. Despite this fact, compared to the countries that are lower in the ranking, in which 86% of the world’s population live, the standard of living in Latvia was rising faster during this time period, thus dispelling the myth about Latvia as a “failed state”. At the same time, the comparative analysis of the situation in 1938 allows one to think that the myth about the “good old times of president Ulmanis” had a real basis, despite the fact that from today’s perspective, the living conditions in Latvia were much harsher in the 30s.