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Costa Rica vs United States: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 177 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Costa Rica
cri
Leads on 62 of 177 metrics
United States
usa
Leads on 106 of 177 metrics

Summary

United States has 67.5 times as many people as Costa Rica (349.13 million vs 5.18 million). United States's economy is 298 times the size of Costa Rica's ($32.95 trillion vs $110.67 billion GDP).

Comparing Costa Rica and United States: Costa Rica leads on Refined Petroleum Products Imports (51,320) against United States (2.17); United States leads on Number of AI Patents Filed (15,291 patents) against Costa Rica (1 patents); Costa Rica leads on Oil Imports (44,110) against United States (10.27). Across 177 compared metrics, Costa Rica wins on 62 and United States wins on 106.

  • Communications: 9 metrics compared
  • Economy: 67 metrics compared
  • Environment: 12 metrics compared
  • Geography: 7 metrics compared
  • Government: 9 metrics compared
  • Health: 23 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
  • People and Society: 41 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 4 metrics compared
  • Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
  • Other: 1 metric compared

Communications

9 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Fixed Broadband Penetration23.29 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants38.86 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants★
Internet Penetration Rate (%)87.17 %94.69 %★
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)85.4 %93.14 %★
Internet Userspercent of population: 85% (2023 est.)percent of population: 93% (2023 est.)
Mobile Internet Speed23.29 Mbps38.86 Mbps★
Press Freedom Index Score73.09 points★65.49 points
Radios980,000★575
Televisions525,000★219
Waterways73041,009★

Economy

67 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country2.74B $350.60B $★
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars110.67B $32.95T $★
AI Investment (% of GDP)15.67 %21.84 %★
Apple Import Volume20.26M tonnes76.82M tonnes★
Bank Account Ownership Rate71.35 %97.02 %★
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)3.5 %★0.5 %
Coal Revenue00.2★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)11.37 %★4.1 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP16.9 % of GDP★
Ease of Doing Business Index69.292★
Electricity Consumption9.81★3.9
Electricity Exports643★9.7
Electricity from Fossil Fuels1870★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants64★7
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels09★
Electricity from Other Renewables18★14
Electricity Imports807★72.72
Electricity Installed Capacity3.58★1.09
Electricity Production10.79★4.1
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)30.73 USD per capita278.47 USD per capita★
Female Labor Force Participation Rate53.46 %68.99 %★
Gender Pay Gap Percentage-6.34 %15.32 %★
Gender Wage Gap-6.34 %★15.32 %
Gini Index Coefficient45.8★41.8
Gross Fixed Investment19.9★12.9
Gross National Saving15.118.9★
High-Tech Export Percentage54.1 %59.63 %★
Highest GDP per Capita Countries28,443.41 USD76,931.31 USD★
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)4.1 %★3.25 %
Inflation Rate-0.41 %★2.95 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)-0.4 %★2.9 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)0.6 % of GDP3.2 % of GDP★
Natural Gas Consumption0767.6★
Natural Gas Exports089.7★
Natural Gas Imports086.15★
Natural Gas Production0772.8★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves00
Number of AI Patents Filed1 patents15,291 patents★
Oil Consumption47,000★19.15
Oil Exports2,087★1.92
Oil Imports44,110★10.27
Oil Production263★9.69
Oil Proved Reserves020.68★
Population Below Poverty Line21 people15.1 people★
Public Debt48.9★114.8
R&D Expenditure (% of GDP)0.34 %3.45 %★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)4.3 USD★2.8 USD
Real Interest Rate Trends3.02 %★-1.26 %
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption53,000★19.96
Refined Petroleum Products Exports05.22★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports51,320★2.18
Refined Petroleum Products Production020.3★
Remittances0.8★0
Researchers in R&D per Million462.47 researchers4,937.49 researchers★
Revenue from Forest Resources0.82★0.04
Robotics Research Funding0.34 USD3.45 USD★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)1.541.25★
Tax Burden (% of GDP)13.46 %10.77 %★
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)13.46 % of GDP★10.77 % of GDP
Taxes and Other Revenues13.9★10.6
Top Exporting Countries36.74B USD3.19T USD★
Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP)5.43 %★1.3 %
Tourism Contribution to GDP2.72 %2.76 %★
Tourism Revenue (% of GDP)2.72 %2.76 %★
Unemployment Rate7.9 %4.2 %★
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate57.66 %★61.7 %
Youth Unemployment Rate19.95 %9.34 %★

Environment

12 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)287,922-14.29M★
Annual Forest Area Change Rate3,517.97 %★-72,000 %
Average Annual Temperature23.34 °C★10.43 °C
Carbon Dioxide Emissions7.914.8★
Continental Shelf200not specified;
Global Precipitation Distribution3,314.33 mm★810.4 mm
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 populationlarge urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western-tier states; mountainous areas such as the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, deserts in the southwest
Protected Land Area for Adaptation25.83 sq km★12.85 sq km
Protected Land Area Percentage26.6 %★12.9 %
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country37.31 Cubic meters per year1,383 Cubic meters per year★
Total Renewable Water Resources113★3.07
Total Threatened Mammal Species12 species★43 species

Geography

7 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization3.41 %★2.11 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)196★94.67
Agricultural land16,651.72 sq. km4.17M sq. km★
Airports per 1,000 Sq Km51,0609.15M★
Coastline Length (km)1,290 km19,924 km★
Dam capacity per capita382.59 cubic meters per inhabitant2,113 cubic meters per inhabitant★
Irrigated Land1,015234,782★

Government

9 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Rule of Law Index by Country54.31 %88.3 %★
Administrative Divisions750★
Corruption Perception Index58 index★65 index
Corruption Perceptions Index Score58 index65 index★
Independence15★4
LGBT Rights Index Score3.077.08★
Prison Population Rate395 per 100,000★642 per 100,000
Public Sector Corruption Perception58★65
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

23 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Access to Safe Drinking Water80.5 %97.57 %★
Average BMI for Adults26.8 kg/m²28.8 kg/m²★
Change in Measles Immunization Rate93 %★92 %
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)34.4926.21★
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)9.813.7★
Female Life Expectancy Leaders81 years★78.89 years
Global Stillbirth Rate Trends0.45 per 1,000 births0.27 per 1,000 births★
Health Care Spending per Capita2,112.89 USD15,459.46 USD★
Health Coverage Index Score84 score88 score★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP16.6 % of GDP★
Highest Male Life Expectancy81 years★78.89 years
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.5 %NA
Hospital Bed Density1.2 people/sq km2.7 people/sq km★
Hospital Beds per Capita1.14 beds per 1,0002.68 beds per 1,000★
Low Birth Weight Prevalence8.72 %8.26 %★
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)24 %17 %★
Nurses and Midwives Density3.07 per 1,000 people13.38 per 1,000 people★
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)25.7 %★36.2 %
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending24.13 %10.93 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDS16,000NA
Public Health Spending (% of GDP)4.8 %14.3 %★
Total Number of Doctors2.693.68★
Underweight Children Under 52.90.4★

Military and Security

3 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Active Military Personnel0 personnel1.36M personnel★
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)0 %★3.12 %
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)10,0001.40M★

People and Society

41 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Currently married (Percent)40.93 %51.38 %★
Human Capital Index0.630.72★
Life expectancy at birth84.75 years★83.22 years
Median age of population35.68 years38.79 years★
Population Change24,088.1 persons2.26M persons★
Population density101.38 per sq. km38.15 per sq. km★
Total population5.18M persons349.13M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.92★0.4
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsA-BC★
Beer Consumption per Capita2.46 liters3.86 liters★
Birth Rate (%)10.86 %★10.75 %
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate70.9 %73.9 %★
Crude Birth Rate9.99 per 1,000 people10.6 per 1,000 people★
Death Rate (%)5.24 %★8.76 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)6.2 % of GDP★5.4 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age1.33M persons78.56M persons★
Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)60.47 %102.43 %★
Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate23.29 %38.86 %★
Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth104.41 male/female104.75 male/female★
Human Development Index0.590.75★
Labor Force Participation Rate2.36174.17★
Learning-adjusted years of school9.01 years11.07 years★
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days183.4 days★
Major Urban Areas Population1.46 people18.94 people★
Mean Male Height (cm)168.93177.13★
Mean Years of Schooling9.12 years13.32 years★
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Old-Age Dependency Ratio16.98 %★26.8 %
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization74.2 %74.52 %★
Physician Density2.69 people/sq km3.68 people/sq km★
Population Growth Rate0.75 %★0.45 %
Population living in slums1.68 %★0.05 %
Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio11.63★14.2
Total deaths26,826 persons★2.87M persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)63.4 %65.73 %★
Total fertility rate1.3 per woman1.61 per woman★
Total net-migration974.7 persons1.49M persons★
Under-five mortality rate7.18 per live births5.52 per live births★
Urban Population Annual Growth Rate0.97 %★0.61 %
Voting Age Population55.05 millions62.36 millions★

Transportation

4 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)0.482.06★
Airports13216,116★
Civil Air Travel118,252★
Heliports88,130★

Travel and Tourism

1 metric
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Tourism Receipts per Capita5.62B USD251.65B USD★

Other

1 metric
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Current Bank Rate3.5 %3.75 %★

Frequently Asked Questions About Costa Rica vs United States

Which has a larger population, Costa Rica or United States?▾

United States. United States has 67.5 times as many people as Costa Rica (349.13 million vs 5.18 million). Data for 2026.

Which has a bigger economy, Costa Rica or United States?▾

United States. United States's economy is 298 times the size of Costa Rica's ($32.95 trillion vs $110.67 billion GDP). Data for 2026.

Which is richer per person, Costa Rica or United States?▾

United States is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $94,373 in United States vs $21,381 in Costa Rica (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).

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