Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.5 years longer

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In Taiwan, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 85.3% more money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Taiwan, the GDP per capita is $47,800 as of 2019.

be 55.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Taiwan, that number is 3.7% as of 2019.

be 94.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Costa Rica, 25.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Taiwan, however, that number is 1.5% as of 2012.

pay a 3.0 times higher top tax rate

Costa Rica has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Taiwan, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 52.7% 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 Taiwan, on the other hand, 4.0 children do as of 2022.

have 32.4% fewer children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Taiwan, there are 7.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 21.4% more coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Taiwan, that number is 1,566 km.

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

Taiwan: At a glance

Taiwan is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 32,260 sq km. In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist control after World War II. Following the communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Beginning in the 1950s, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the local population within the governing structure. This process expanded rapidly in the 1980s. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist (Kuomintang or KMT) to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of Taiwan's eventual status - as well as domestic priorities for economic reform and growth.
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How big is Taiwan compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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