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Costa Rica vs United States: 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 42 of 122 metrics
United States
usa
Leads on 71 of 122 metrics

Summary

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 122 compared metrics, Costa Rica wins on 42 and United States wins on 71.

  • 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🇺🇸 United StatesShare
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.)
Press Freedom Index Score73.09 points★65.49 points
Radios980,000★575
Televisions525,000★219
Waterways73041,009★

Economy

51 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★
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★
Gini Index Coefficient45.8★41.8
Gross Fixed Investment19.9★12.9
Gross National Saving15.118.9★
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)4.1 %★3.25 %
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
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)4.3 USD★2.8 USD
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
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★
Taxes and Other Revenues13.9★10.6
Top Exporting Countries36.74B USD3.19T USD★
Unemployment Rate7.9 %4.2 %★
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate57.66 %★61.7 %

Environment

7 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)287,922-14.29M★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions7.914.8★
Continental Shelf200not specified;
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
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country37.31 Cubic meters per year1,383 Cubic meters per year★
Total Renewable Water Resources113★3.07

Geography

6 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★
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

4 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Rule of Law Index by Country54.31 %88.3 %★
Administrative Divisions750★
Independence15★4
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

11 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Access to Safe Drinking Water80.5 %97.57 %★
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)34.4926.21★
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)9.813.7★
Health Care Spending per Capita2,112.89 USD15,459.46 USD★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP16.6 % of GDP★
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.5 %NA
Hospital Bed Density1.2 people/sq km2.7 people/sq km★
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)24 %17 %★
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)25.7 %★36.2 %
People Living With HIV/AIDS16,000NA
Underweight Children Under 52.90.4★

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)10,0001.40M★

People and Society

30 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★
Birth Rate (%)10.86 %★10.75 %
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate70.9 %73.9 %★
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★
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★
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
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 %
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★

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★

Other

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

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