International Rankings of Costa Rica 2023, country comparisons

This table lists the international rankings of Costa Rica, in all categories that are published in the CIA World Factbook, and those that we derived from them. Additional international rankings of Costa Rica, can be found in the main country ranks menu.
For a definition of each entry, visit the Definitions page.

Ranked Data	Rank	Value	Year
Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	34	20	2020
Broadband - fixed subscriptions - total	76	992725	2020
Internet users - percent of population	25	83 %	2021
Internet users - total	104	4.316 million	2021
Telephones - fixed lines - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	48	11	2021
Telephones - fixed lines - total subscriptions	88	553455	2021
Telephones - mobile cellular - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	16	152	2021
Telephones - mobile cellular - total subscriptions	103	7.834 million	2021
Economy
Average household expenditures - on alcohol and tobacco	49	1.2 % of household expenditures	2018
Average household expenditures - on food	44	25.7 % of household expenditures	2018
Budget - expenditures	87	14.001 billion US Dollars	2019
Budget - revenues	93	9.664 billion US Dollars	2019
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)	84	6.1 % of GDP	0
Current account balance	158	2.136 billion US Dollars	2021
Debt - external	86	29.589 billion US Dollars	2019
Exports	84	23.761 billion US Dollars	2021
GDP (official exchange rate)	81	61.855 billion US Dollars	2019
GDP - composition by end use - exports of goods and services	107	33.3 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - government consumption	67	17.3 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - household consumption	94	64.2 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - imports of goods and services	56	32.9 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - investment in fixed capital	108	17.1 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - investment in inventories	46	1 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - agriculture	105	5.5 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - industry	116	20.6 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - services	46	73.9 % of GDP	2017
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income	14	49.3 %	2020
Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10%	30	36.9 % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population	2014
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%	36	1.5 % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population	0
Imports	88	22.298 billion US Dollars	2021
Industrial production growth rate	29	9.83 %	2021
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	143	1.73 %	2021
Labor force	119	2.426 million US Dollars	2021
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture	84	14 %	0
Labor force - by occupation - industry	56	22 %	0
Labor force - by occupation - services	71	64 %	2006
Population below poverty line	87	21 %	2019
Public debt	100	48.9 % of GDP	2017
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)	89	109.260 billion US Dollars	2021
Real GDP growth rate	46	7.58 %	2021
Real GDP per capita	83	21200 US Dollars	2021
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	95	6.921 billion US Dollars	2021
Taxes and other revenues	163	12.32 % of GDP	0
Unemployment rate	23	17.95 %	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - female	8	56.3	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - male	15	37	0
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - total	6	45.4	0
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions - from coal and metallurgical coke	127	1000 metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Carbon dioxide emissions - from consumed natural gas	124	0 metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Carbon dioxide emissions - from petroleum and other liquids	100	8.114 million metric tonnes of CO2	2019
Coal - consumption	122	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - exports	62	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - imports	112	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - production	75	0 metric tons	2020
Coal - proven reserves	75	0 metric tons	2019
Electricity - consumption	101	10.072 billion kWh	2019
Electricity - exports	66	712.000 million kWh	2019
Electricity - imports	78	733.000 million kWh	2019
Electricity - installed generating capacity	100	3.674 million kWh	2020
Electricity - transmission/distribution losses	102	1.321 billion kWh	2019
Electricity access	1	100 %	2021
Electricity generation sources - biomass and waste	46	1.2 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - fossil fuels	159	0.2 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - geothermal	6	14.5 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - hydroelectricity	23	71.1 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - nuclear	34	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - solar	63	0.6 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - tide and wave	6	0 %	2020
Electricity generation sources - wind	23	12.5 %	2020
Energy consumption per capita	103	44.899 million Btu/person	2019
Natural gas - consumption	121	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - exports	57	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - imports	88	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - production	97	0 cubic meters	2021
Natural gas - proven reserves	92	0 cubic meters	2021
Petroleum - crude oil and lease condensate exports	73	0 bbl/day	2018
Petroleum - crude oil and lease condensate imports	82	0 bbl/day	2018
Petroleum - crude oil estimated reserves	89	0 bbl/day	2021
Petroleum - refined petroleum consumption	97	63300 bbl/day	2019
Petroleum - total petroleum production	102	400 bbl/day	2021
Refined petroleum products - exports	128	0 bbl/day	2015
Refined petroleum products - imports	82	51320 bbl/day	2015
Refined petroleum products - production	112	0 bbl/day	2015
Environment
Air pollutants - carbon dioxide emissions	108	8.02 megatons	2016
Air pollutants - methane emissions	119	5.61 megatons	2020
Air pollutants - particulate matter emissions	125	15.85 micrograms per cubic meter	2016
Land use - agricultural land	101	37.1	2018
Land use - arable land	122	4.9	2018
Land use - forest	44	51.5	2018
Land use - other	156	11.4	2018
Land use - permanent crops	41	6.7	2018
Land use - permanent pasture	62	25.5	2018
Revenue from coal	33	0 % of GDP	2018
Revenue from forest resources	55	0.82 % of GDP	2018
Total renewable water resources	64	113.000 billion cubic meters	2020
Total water withdrawal - agricultural	69	2.080 billion cubic meters	2020
Total water withdrawal - industrial	74	230.000 million cubic meters	2020
Total water withdrawal - municipal	56	830.000 million cubic meters	2020
Urbanization - rate of urbanization	86	1.5	2025
Urbanization - urban population	38	82.6	2023
Waste and recycling - municipal solid waste generated annually	77	1.460 million tons	2014
Waste and recycling - municipal solid waste recycled annually	101	18396 tons	2014
Waste and recycling - percent of municipal solid waste recycled	81	1.3 %	2014
Geography
Area - land	130	51060 sq km	0
Area - total	131	51100 sq km	0
Area - water	219	40 sq km	0
Coastline	76	1290 km	0
Elevation - highest point	42	3819 meters	0
Elevation - lowest point	35	0 meters	0
Elevation - mean elevation	46	746 meters	0
Irrigated land	91	1015 sq km	2012
Land boundaries - total	132	661 km	0
Land use - agricultural land	101	37.1	2018
Land use - arable land	122	4.9	2018
Land use - forest	44	51.5	2018
Land use - other	156	11.4	2018
Land use - permanent crops	41	6.7	2018
Land use - permanent pasture	62	25.5	2018
Military
Military expenditures	48	0.6 % of GDP	2022
Population
Alcohol consumption per capita - beer	74	2.17 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - other alcohols	36	0.39 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - spirits	109	0.36 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - total	103	3.07 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Alcohol consumption per capita - wine	82	0.15 liters of pure alcohol	2019
Birth rate	122	14.03 births/1,000 population	2023
Children under the age of 5 years underweight	83	2.9 %	2018
Contraceptive prevalence rate	22	70.9 %	2018
Current health expenditure	42	7.9 % of GDP	2020
Currently married women (ages 15-49)	130	48.4 %	2023
Death rate	172	4.97 deaths/1,000 population	2023
Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio	74	15.3 %	0
Dependency ratios - potential support ratio	95	6.5 %	2021
Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio	144	45.1 %	0
Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio	124	29.8 %	0
Drinking water source - improved	1	100 % of population	0
Drinking water source - rural	109	0 % of population	0
Drinking water source - total	102	0 % of population	2020
Drinking water source - unimproved	64	0 % of population	0
Education expenditures	19	6.7 % of GDP	2020
Gross reproduction rate	78	0.91 %	2023
Hospital bed density	60	1.1 beds/1,000 population	2019
Infant mortality rate - female	142	7.12 deaths/1,000 live births	2023
Infant mortality rate - male	141	9.24 deaths/1,000 live births	0
Infant mortality rate - total	144	8.2 deaths/1,000 live births	0
Life expectancy at birth - female	45	82.65 years	2023
Life expectancy at birth - male	51	77.23 years	0
Life expectancy at birth - total population	49	79.87 years	0
Literacy - female	17	98.1 %	2021
Literacy - male	17	98 %	0
Literacy - total population	18	98 %	0
Maternal mortality ratio	100	22 deaths/100,000 live births	2020
Median age - female	82	33.1 years	2020
Median age - male	74	32.1 years	0
Median age - total	75	32.6 years	0
Mother's mean age at first birth	86	N/A	2023
Net migration rate	68	0.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population	0
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	41	25.7 %	2016
Physicians density	39	3.3 physicians/1,000 population	2020
Population	125	5.257 million	2023
Population growth rate	80	0.98 %	2023
Sanitation facility access - improved	10	99 % of population	0
Sanitation facility access - rural	98	2.9 % of population	0
Sanitation facility access - total	108	1.3 % of population	2020
Sanitation facility access - unimproved	85	1 % of population	0
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - female	6	17 years	2019
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - male	5	16 years	0
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - total	5	17 years	0
Sex ratio - 0-14 years	11	1.05 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - 15-64 years	22	1.01 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - 65 years and over	28	0.85 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - at birth	8	1.05 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - total population	19	1 male(s)/female	0
Tobacco use - female	76	4.6 %	2020
Tobacco use - male	128	12.9 %	2020
Tobacco use - total	108	8.8 %	2020
Total fertility rate	98	1.86 children born/woman	2023
Urbanization - rate of urbanization	86	1.5	2025
Urbanization - urban population	38	82.6	2023
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - female	8	56.3	2021
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - male	15	37	0
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) - total	6	45.4	0
Transportation
Airports	34	161	2021
Airports - with paved runways - civil airports	18	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - joint use (civil-military) airports	1	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - military airports	14	N/A	2023
Airports - with paved runways - other airports	22	N/A	2023
Airports - with unpaved runways	31	1.141 million	3280
Heliports	26	N/A	2023
Merchant marine - total	133	11	0
National air transport system - annual freight traffic on registered air carriers	86	11.130 million	2018
National air transport system - annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers	84	1.949 million	2018
National air transport system - inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers	71	39	0
National air transport system - number of registered air carriers	27	1	2020
Railways	33	N/A km	2023
Roadways - paved	168	N/A km	2010
Roadways - total	129	5035 km	2017
Waterways	71	730 km	2011

*CALCULATED FIGURES are those that we calculated from data presented by the CIA World Factbook. For example, we calculated population density by dividing the total population by the land area, the electricity consumption per capita by dividing electricity consumption by the total population, etc.

NOTE: The information regarding Costa Rica on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Costa Rica 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Costa Rica 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.