Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Western Sahara, you would:

Health

live 15.1 years longer

In Western Sahara, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 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.

Economy

make 10.3 times more money

Western Sahara has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2007, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $25,800 as of 2023.

Life

be 82.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Western Sahara, approximately 47.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, 8.4 children do as of 2022.

have 61.4% fewer children

In Western Sahara, there are approximately 28.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Costa Rica, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 16.2% more coastline

Western Sahara has a total of 1,110 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 Western Sahara? See an in-depth size comparison.

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