Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 7.9 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 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.

be 3.8 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Costa Rica, that number is 25.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 15.2 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $25,800 as of 2023.

be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

Life

be 79.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Costa Rica, 22.0 women do as of 2020.

be 62.2% less likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, 8.4 children do as of 2022.

have 18.2% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 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 82.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 55% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Costa Rica, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Geography

see 48.3% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 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 North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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