Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Belarus, you would:
Health
live 6.6 years longer
In Belarus, the average life expectancy is 74 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
be 48.4% less likely to die by suicide
Belarus has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 58.4% more likely to be obese
In Belarus, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
see 12.1% less spent on your healthcare
Belarus spends $2,194 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 43.0% fewer doctors per person
Belarus has 47.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
Economy
make 94.3% more money
Belarus has a GDP per capita of $10,279 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 2.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Belarus, 3.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
be 4.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Belarus, 3.5% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
Life
have 42.1% more children
In Belarus, there are approximately 7.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 24.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Belarus, approximately 1.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In Belarus, approximately 1.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, 9.1 children do as of 2024.
Safety
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Belarus, road accidents kill 7.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 35.8% less home broadband
Belarus has 36.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 26.2% more strain on fresh water
Belarus withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 45.6% less electricity
Belarus uses 4,198 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 77.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Belarus, air pollution causes 68.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 72.6% less CO2
Belarus emits 5.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Belarus vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Belarus? See an in-depth size comparison.