Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would:
Health
live 3.0 years longer
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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.
have 22.7% more access to essential health services
Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 10.1% less likely to die by suicide
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a suicide rate of 9.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 55.9% more likely to be obese
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 21.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 38.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
make 92.4% more money
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a GDP per capita of $10,382 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
Life
have 29.4% more children
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 6.0 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 65.5% more likely to die during infancy
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 5.5 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.
Expenditures
spend 23.0% less on healthcare
Bosnia and Herzegovina spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 63.4% more on education
Bosnia and Herzegovina spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 64.5 times more coastline
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a total of 20 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 14.5 times more likely to be murdered
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a homicide rate of 1.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 13.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, road accidents kill 13.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 20.8% less home broadband
Bosnia and Herzegovina has 29.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 2.8 times more strain on fresh water
Bosnia and Herzegovina withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 37.9% less electricity
Bosnia and Herzegovina uses 3,677 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 72.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 74.7% less CO2
Bosnia and Herzegovina emits 6.5 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Costa Rica
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