Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in American Samoa instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

live 4.3 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In American Samoa, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 56.6% less money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in American Samoa, the GDP per capita is $11,200 as of 2016.

be 3.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In American Samoa, that number is 29.8% as of 2005.

Life

have 45.4% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In American Samoa, there are 15.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 19.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Costa Rica, approximately 8.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In American Samoa, on the other hand, 10.1 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 41.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Costa Rica, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In American Samoa, 59% of the population do as of 2020.

be 51.4% less likely to have internet access

In Costa Rica, approximately 83.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In American Samoa, about 40.3% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 91.0% less coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In American Samoa, that number is 116 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

American Samoa: At a glance

American Samoa (sometimes abbreviated AS) is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 224 sq km. Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was not reached by European explorers until the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.
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How big is American Samoa compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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