Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Burma, you would:
Health
live 13.9 years longer
In Burma, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 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 6.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Burma spends $283 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 3.5 times more doctors per person
Burma has 7.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 55.8% more access to essential health services
Burma scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to be obese
In Burma, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Burma has a suicide rate of 2.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 13.4 times more money
Burma has a GDP per capita of $1,489 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burma, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 87.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burma, approximately 185.0 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 72.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Burma, approximately 32.8 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.
have 39.3% fewer children
In Burma, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 30.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Burma, approximately 77% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 98.1% more likely to have internet access
In Burma, approximately 44.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
be 16.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burma, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 54.0% more on healthcare
Burma spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 33.2% less coastline
Burma has a total of 1,930 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 19.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burma, road accidents kill 19.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 6.9 times more likely to be murdered
Burma has a homicide rate of 2.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 8.1 times more home broadband
Burma has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
use 6.2 times more electricity
Burma uses 368 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 78.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burma, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Burma emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burma vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Burma? See an in-depth size comparison.