Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Barbados, you would:

Health

be 63.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Barbados, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2019. In Costa Rica, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2020.

live 1.1 years longer

In Barbados, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022. In Costa Rica, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 11.3% more likely to be obese

In Barbados, 23.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Costa Rica, that number is 25.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 52.7% more money

Barbados has a GDP per capita of $12,900 as of 2020, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,700 as of 2020.

be 19.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Barbados, 10.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Costa Rica, that number is 8.1% as of 2017.

pay a 55.2% lower top tax rate

Barbados has a top tax rate of 33.5% as of 2016. In Costa Rica, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 12.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Barbados, approximately 9.6 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 31.9% more children

In Barbados, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Costa Rica, there are 14.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 55.8% more on education

Barbados spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Costa Rica spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 15.9% more on healthcare

Barbados spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Costa Rica, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 13.3 times more coastline

Barbados has a total of 97 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, Ministry of Finance, Barbados, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

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 Barbados? See an in-depth size comparison.

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