Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 13.2% less likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Colombia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2016.

live 4.8 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In Colombia, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 27.1% less money

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

be 15.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 9.6% as of 2023.

be 43.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Costa Rica, 25.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Colombia, however, that number is 36.6% as of 2022.

pay a 2.2 times higher top tax rate

Costa Rica has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Colombia, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 38.0% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Colombia, there are 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.4 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 Colombia, 75.0 women do as of 2020.

be 38.9% 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 Colombia, on the other hand, 11.7 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 12.0% less likely to have internet access

In Costa Rica, approximately 83.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Colombia, about 73.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 26.9% less on education

Costa Rica spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Colombia spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 13.9% more on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Colombia, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.5 times more coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

Colombia: At a glance

Colombia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,038,700 sq km. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
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How big is Colombia compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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