Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.4 years longer

In Syria, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 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.

Economy

make 8.9 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2021, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $25,800 as of 2023.

be 38.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

be 69.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 25.5% as of 2022.

pay a 31.8% lower top tax rate

Syria has a top tax rate of 22.0% as of 2016. In Costa Rica, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 26.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 30.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Costa Rica, 22.0 women do as of 2020.

be 13.4% more likely to be literate

In Syria, the literacy rate is 86.4% as of 2015. In Costa Rica, it is 98.0% as of 2021.

be 47.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Syria, approximately 15.9 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 50.2% fewer children

In Syria, there are approximately 21.7 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 12.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Syria, approximately 89% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Costa Rica, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 78.1% more likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Costa Rica, about 83.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 31.4% more on education

Syria spends 5.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2009. Costa Rica spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 6.7 times more coastline

Syria has a total of 193 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, Ministry of Finance, Syria, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

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 Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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