Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.7 years longer

In Greenland, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Costa Rica, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 62.1% less money

Greenland has a GDP per capita of $68,100 as of 2021, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $25,800 as of 2023.

be 57.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Greenland, 16.2% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 25.5% as of 2022.

Life

have 20.0% fewer children

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

Basic Needs

be 19.4% more likely to have internet access

In Greenland, approximately 69.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Costa Rica, about 83.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 34.3% less on education

Greenland spends 10.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Costa Rica spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 97.1% less coastline

Greenland has a total of 44,087 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.

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

Costa Rica: At a glance

Costa Rica is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 51,060 sq km. Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
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How big is Costa Rica compared to Greenland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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