Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Brazil instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

be 14.0% less likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Brazil, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

live 3.7 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In Brazil, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 83.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Costa Rica, 25.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Brazil, however, that number is 4.2% as of 2016.

make 27.9% less money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Brazil, the GDP per capita is $18,600 as of 2023.

pay a 83.3% higher top tax rate

Costa Rica has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Brazil, the top tax rate is 27.5% as of 2016.

Life

have 22.2% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brazil, there are 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Costa Rica, approximately 22.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Brazil, 72.0 women do as of 2020.

be 58.6% 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 Brazil, on the other hand, 13.3 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 10.4% less on education

Costa Rica spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Brazil spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 30.4% more on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Brazil, that number is 10.3% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 5.8 times more coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Brazil, that number is 7,491 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Secretaria da Receita Federal do Brasil, The World Factbook, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

Brazil: At a glance

Brazil is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 8,358,140 sq km. Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than a half century of populist and military government until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader, one of the first in the area to begin an economic recovery. High income inequality and crime remain pressing problems, as well as recent years' slow down in economic growth.
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How big is Brazil compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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