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Costa Rica vs Malaysia: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 122 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Costa Rica
cri
Leads on 39 of 122 metrics
Malaysia
mys
Leads on 76 of 122 metrics

Summary

Comparing Costa Rica and Malaysia: Costa Rica leads on Radios (980,000) against Malaysia (10.90); Costa Rica leads on Televisions (525,000) against Malaysia (10.80); Malaysia leads on Oil Production (664,800) against Costa Rica (263). Across 122 compared metrics, Costa Rica wins on 39 and Malaysia wins on 76.

  • Communications: 7 metrics compared
  • Economy: 51 metrics compared
  • Environment: 7 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 4 metrics compared
  • Health: 11 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 1 metric compared
  • People and Society: 30 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 4 metrics compared
  • Other: 1 metric compared

Communications

7 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Internet Penetration Rate (%)87.17 %98.02 %★
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)85.4 %97.69 %★
Internet Userspercent of population: 85% (2023 est.)percent of population: 98% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score73.09 points★56.09 points
Radios980,000★10.9
Televisions525,000★10.8
Waterways7307,200★

Economy

51 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country2.74B $47.38B $★
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars110.67B $466.53B $★
AI Investment (% of GDP)15.67 %21.95 %★
Apple Import Volume20.26M tonnes101.62M tonnes★
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)3.5 %★3 %
Coal Revenue00.02★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)11.37 %★4.61 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP★3.8 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index69.283.3★
Electricity Consumption9.81136.9★
Electricity Exports643★3
Electricity from Fossil Fuels1878★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants64★18
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels00
Electricity from Other Renewables18★4
Electricity Imports807★33
Electricity Installed Capacity3.5833★
Electricity Production10.79148.3★
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)30.73 USD per capita113.16 USD per capita★
Gini Index Coefficient45.8★40.7
Gross Fixed Investment19.925.2★
Gross National Saving15.128.5★
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)4.1 %4.9 %★
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)-0.4 %★1.8 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)0.6 % of GDP1 % of GDP★
Natural Gas Consumption030.44★
Natural Gas Exports038.23★
Natural Gas Imports02.8★
Natural Gas Production069.49★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves01.18★
Number of AI Patents Filed1 patents16 patents★
Oil Consumption47,000561,000★
Oil Exports2,087644,900★
Oil Imports44,110355,300★
Oil Production263664,800★
Oil Proved Reserves04★
Population Below Poverty Line24.4 people6.2 people★
Public Debt48.9★64.3
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)4.3 USD5.1 USD★
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption53,000704,000★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports0208,400★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports51,320304,600★
Refined Petroleum Products Production0528,300★
Remittances0.8★0.4
Revenue from Forest Resources0.821.57★
Robotics Research Funding0.34 USD1.01 USD★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)2.160.01★
Taxes and Other Revenues13.9★12.6
Top Exporting Countries36.74B USD301.22B USD★
Unemployment Rate7.9 %3.9 %★
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate57.66 %★66.12 %

Environment

7 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)287,922★13.93M
Carbon Dioxide Emissions7.91★260.01
Continental Shelf200200
Population Distributionroughly half of the nation's population resides in urban areas; the capital of San Jose is the largest city and home to approximately one fifth of the populationa highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula
Protected Land Area for Adaptation25.83 sq km★13.3 sq km
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country37.31 Cubic meters per year64 Cubic meters per year★
Total Renewable Water Resources113580★

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization3.41 %4.11 %★
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)196209.87★
Agricultural land16,651.72 sq. km85,710 sq. km★
Coastline Length (km)1,290 km4,675 km★
Dam capacity per capita382.59 cubic meters per inhabitant611.58 cubic meters per inhabitant★
Irrigated Land1,0154,420★

Government

4 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Rule of Law Index by Country54.31 %67.87 %★
Administrative Divisions713★
Independence1531★
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

11 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Access to Safe Drinking Water80.5 %94.7 %★
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)39.4613.01★
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)9.821.1★
Health Care Spending per Capita2,112.89 USD★1,703.34 USD
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP★4.4 % of GDP
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.5 %0.3 %★
Hospital Bed Density1.2 people/sq km2 people/sq km★
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)24 %★26 %
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)25.7 %15.6 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDS16,000★92,000
Underweight Children Under 52.9★15.3

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)10,000136,000★

People and Society

30 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Currently married (Percent)40.93 %58.88 %★
Human Capital Index0.630.65★
Life expectancy at birth84.75 years★80.87 years
Median age of population35.68 years★31.44 years
Population Change24,088.1 persons428,622.9 persons★
Population density101.38 per sq. km★110.8 per sq. km
Total population5.18M persons36.40M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.92★0.29
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsA-B★AA
Birth Rate (%)10.86 %14.05 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate70.9 %★52.2 %
Death Rate (%)5.24 %★5.8 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)6.2 % of GDP★3.5 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age1.33M persons9.69M persons★
Labor Force Participation Rate2.3618.26★
Learning-adjusted years of school9.01 years9.72 years★
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population1.46 people8.62 people★
Mean Male Height (cm)168.93★167.88
Military Manpower at Military Age1821★
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization74.2 %83.21 %★
Physician Density2.69 people/sq km★2.34 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate0.75 %0.97 %★
Population living in slums1.68 %★0.2 %
Total deaths26,826 persons★179,998.3 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)63.4 %★42.17 %
Total fertility rate1.3 per woman1.53 per woman★
Total net-migration974.7 persons162,673.4 persons★
Under-five mortality rate7.18 per live births5.53 per live births★

Transportation

4 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)0.481.58★
Airports132★100
Civil Air Travel1153★
Heliports824★

Other

1 metric
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇲🇾 MalaysiaShare
Current Bank Rate3.5 %★2.75 %

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