Costa Rica

Latin America & Caribbean·High income

Population: 5.11M; 124th of 217
GDP: $95.4B; 73rd of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $18,587; 77th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 80.8; 47th of 217
Human development: 0.809; 57th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Costa Rica

Panama

Trinidad and Tobago

Chile

Curaçao

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

trade-based upper middle-income economy; green economy leader, having reversed deforestation; investing in blue economy infrastructure; declining poverty until hard impacts of COVID-19; lingering inequality and growing government debts have prompted a liquidity crisis

Area: 51,100 km²
Resources: hydropower
Borders: Nicaragua; Panama

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian87.9%▼ 3.4pt
Unaffiliated10.1%▲ 2.6pt
Other1.9%▲ 0.8pt

Religious diversity: 2.54 / 10 · moderate · 108th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

CRI

PAN

TTO

CHL

GDP

current US$

$95.4B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$5.28B–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

50.5%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

3.6%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

19.7%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

–––

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

–––

Annual hours worked

hours per worker

2,176.9–––

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

0.531–––

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

–––

Population

people

5.11M–––

Population density

people per km²

99.5–––

Urban population

% of total

82.6%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

1.3–––

Net migration

people

967–––

Population under 15

% of total

18.8%–––

Population 65+

% of total

12.2%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

7.2%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

6.2%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Safe drinking water

% of population

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

9,004.6–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

2,413.3–––

Electricity generation

TWh

12.4–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

2.54–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

10.1%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#73/214

$95.4B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#77/214

$18,5872024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#79/203

$28,075latest

GDP growth

annual %

#60/214

4.3%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#74/207

$15,6202024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#19/213

0%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#41/201

$5.28B2024

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#117/205

50.5%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#125/206

3.6%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#134/208

19.7%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#135/187

8.3%latest

Gini index

0–100

#154/168

46.7latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#70/168

1.5%latest

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

#72/165

$15,4972022

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

#90/144

2.72023

Annual hours worked

hours per worker

#34/129

2,176.92023

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

#60/139

0.5312023

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

#37/119

0.7632023

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#124/217

5.11Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#106/216

99.5latest

Urban population

% of total

#51/215

82.6%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#47/217

80.8latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#189/217

1.3latest

Net migration

people

#70/217

9672024

Population under 15

% of total

#134/217

18.8%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#81/217

12.2%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#76/196

9.2latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#77/196

10.5latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#85/192

7.2%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#65/195

2.6latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#40/160

98%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#26/199

6.2%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#77/194

54.7%latest

Safe drinking water

% of population

#73/139

80.5%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#78/210

85.4%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#33/214

145.82023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#78/208

22.52023

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#91/215

1,999.82024

Access to electricity

% of population

#27/215

100%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#119/198

9,004.62023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#101/202

2,413.32024

Electricity generation

TWh

#102/202

12.42024

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#17/202

94%2024

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#21/202

6%2024

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#92/204

8.82024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#75/204

1.72024

Share of global CO₂

#111/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#76/193

3.82023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#142/210

0.2%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#160/210

0.5%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#201/210

0.1%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#147/210

0.3%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#176/210

0.6492024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#11/175

0.8622025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#7/175

0.8092025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#17/175

0.9312025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#45/175

0.2062025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#13/175

0.9152025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#47/178

542022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#58/193

0.4662022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#79/193

0.05332022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#61/193

0.4372022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#26/193

0.9542022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#24/175

0.9072025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#93/126

1422025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#63/126

02025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#61/126

02025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#108/193

2.542020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#59/193

10.1%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#57/189

0.8092021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#60/170

0.2562021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#4/164

7.442025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#38/158

1.732023

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.