If you lived in Cote d'Ivoire instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

be 60.9% less likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 32.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cote d'Ivoire, that number is 12.8% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Costa Rica, 0.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Cote d'Ivoire, that number is 1.7% of people as of 2024.

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live 18.9 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Cote d'Ivoire, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 87.1% less spent on your healthcare

Costa Rica spends $1,928 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cote d'Ivoire spends $249 as of 2023.

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have 93.8% fewer doctors per person

Costa Rica has 26.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Cote d'Ivoire has 1.7 as of 2023.

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have 46.9% less access to essential health services

Costa Rica scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cote d'Ivoire scores 43 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 66.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 6.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cote d'Ivoire, that number is 2.3% as of 2025.

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make 84.7% less money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $19,970 as of 2025, while in Cote d'Ivoire, the GDP per capita is $3,050 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.2 times more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cote d'Ivoire, there are 31.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 15.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Costa Rica, approximately 24.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cote d'Ivoire, 359.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 49.0% less likely to be literate

In Costa Rica, the literacy rate is 98.0% as of 2021. In Cote d'Ivoire, it is 50.0% as of 2021.

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be 4.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In Costa Rica, approximately 9.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Cote d'Ivoire, on the other hand, 44.8 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 27.6% less likely to have access to electricity

In Costa Rica, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Cote d'Ivoire, that number is 72% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 48% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 52.5% less likely to have internet access

In Costa Rica, approximately 87.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cote d'Ivoire, about 41.4% do as of 2024.

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be 22.6% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Costa Rica, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Cote d'Ivoire, that number is 77% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 64% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 32.0% less on education

Costa Rica spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Cote d'Ivoire spends 3.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 50.1% less on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 6.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cote d'Ivoire, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 60.1% less coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Cote d'Ivoire, that number is 515 km.

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Safety

be 32.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In Costa Rica, road accidents kill 15.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cote d'Ivoire, they kill 20.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 13.4% less strain on fresh water

Costa Rica withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cote d'Ivoire withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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find 93.1% less home broadband

Costa Rica has 23.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cote d'Ivoire has 1.6 as of 2024.

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use 84.5% less electricity

Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Cote d'Ivoire uses 354 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 63.8% less CO2

Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cote d'Ivoire emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 5.7 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Costa Rica, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cote d'Ivoire, it causes 86.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Cote d'Ivoire: At a glance

Cote d'Ivoire is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 318,003 sq km. Close ties to France following independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment all made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the West African states but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002 that developed into a rebellion and then a civil war. The war ended in 2003 with a cease fire that left the country divided with the rebels holding the north, the government the south, and peacekeeping forces a buffer zone between the two. In March 2007, President GBAGBO and former New Forces rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. Difficulties in preparing electoral registers delayed balloting until 2010. In November 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election over GBAGBO, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in a five-month stand-off. In April 2011, after widespread fighting, GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters with the help of UN and French forces. Several thousand UN peacekeepers and several hundred French troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to support the transition process. OUATTARA is focused on rebuilding the country's infrastructure and military after the five months of post-electoral fighting and faces ongoing threats from GBAGBO supporters, many of whom have sought shelter in Ghana. GBAGBO is in The Hague awaiting trial for crimes against humanity.
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