If you lived in French Polynesia instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

live 1.2 years less

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

Economy

be 22.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Costa Rica, 25.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In French Polynesia, however, that number is 19.7% as of 2009.

make 27.9% less money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in French Polynesia, the GDP per capita is $18,600 as of 2021.

be 41.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In French Polynesia, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.

Life

be 47.6% less 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 French Polynesia, on the other hand, 4.4 children do as of 2022.

have 24.7% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In French Polynesia, there are 13.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 12.4% less likely to have internet access

In Costa Rica, approximately 83.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In French Polynesia, about 72.7% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 95.7% more coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In French Polynesia, that number is 2,525 km.


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

French Polynesia: At a glance

French Polynesia is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 3,827 sq km. The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were halted in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.
Read more

How big is French Polynesia compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about French Polynesia.or Costa Rica It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.