Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Sri Lanka, you would:

Health

live 2.1 years longer

In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Costa Rica, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.9 times more likely to be obese

In Sri Lanka, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Costa Rica, that number is 25.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 98.5% more money

Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $13,000 as of 2023, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $25,800 as of 2023.

be 30.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Sri Lanka, 6.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

be 78.3% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 25.5% as of 2022.

Life

be 24.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sri Lanka, approximately 29.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Costa Rica, 22.0 women do as of 2020.

have 25.5% fewer children

In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 14.5 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 23.9% more likely to have internet access

In Sri Lanka, approximately 67.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Costa Rica, about 83.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 3.5 times more on education

Sri Lanka spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Costa Rica spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 92.7% more on healthcare

Sri Lanka spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Costa Rica, that number is 7.9% of GDP as of 2020.

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 Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.

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