Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 45.1% less likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Brunei, that number is 14.1% of people as of 2016.

live 1.3 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In Brunei, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 3.0 times more money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $77,900 as of 2023.

be 36.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2023.

Life

have 46.3% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 100.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Costa Rica, approximately 22.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Brunei, 44.0 women do as of 2020.

be 25.4% 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 Brunei, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 18.1% more likely to have internet access

In Costa Rica, approximately 83.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Brunei, about 98.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 34.3% less on education

Costa Rica spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Brunei spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

spend 69.6% less on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Brunei, that number is 2.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 87.5% less coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.

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

Brunei: At a glance

Brunei is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 5,265 sq km. The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.
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How big is Brunei compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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