Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Bolivia, you would:
Health
live 12.3 years longer
In Bolivia, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 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.
see 2.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Bolivia spends $756 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 2.1 times more doctors per person
Bolivia has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 24.6% more access to essential health services
Bolivia scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 10.1% more likely to be obese
In Bolivia, 29.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 91.9% more likely to die by suicide
Bolivia has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 61.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bolivia, 44.7% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
make 3.9 times more money
Bolivia has a GDP per capita of $5,148 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bolivia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 83.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bolivia, approximately 146.0 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 35.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Bolivia, approximately 14.2 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.
have 52.5% fewer children
In Bolivia, there are approximately 21.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 29.6% less on education
Bolivia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 11.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bolivia, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to be murdered
Bolivia has a homicide rate of 4.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 93.0% more home broadband
Bolivia has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
use 2.6 times more electricity
Bolivia uses 890 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
live with 29.4 times more strain on fresh water
Bolivia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 72.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bolivia, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 28.8% less CO2
Bolivia emits 2.3 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: Bolivia vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Bolivia? See an in-depth size comparison.