Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 11.7 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In Nauru, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.4 times more likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Nauru, that number is 61.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 55.8% less money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Nauru, the GDP per capita is $11,400 as of 2023.

be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Nauru, that number is 23.0% as of 2011.

Life

have 87.0% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nauru, there are 20.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 51.9% more on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Nauru, that number is 12.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 97.7% less coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Nauru, that number is 30 km.

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

Nauru: At a glance

Nauru is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 21 sq km. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
Read more

How big is Nauru 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 Nauru.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.