Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 0.9 years less

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

be 24.5% more likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Lebanon, that number is 32.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 52.3% less money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Lebanon, the GDP per capita is $12,300 as of 2023.

be 39.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Lebanon, that number is 11.6% as of 2023.

pay a 33.3% higher top tax rate

Costa Rica has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Lebanon, the top tax rate is 20.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 16.1% 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 Lebanon, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2022.

have 16.7% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lebanon, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 74.6% less on education

Costa Rica spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Lebanon spends 1.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 82.6% less coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Lebanon, that number is 225 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Lebanon, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

Lebanon: At a glance

Lebanon is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 10,230 sq km. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920 and granted this area independence in 1943. Since independence the country has been marked by periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its position as a regional center for finance and trade. The country's 1975-90 civil war that resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has long influenced Lebanon's foreign policy and internal policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. The Lebanon-based Hizballah militia and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.
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How big is Lebanon compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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