If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Mozambique, you would:

Health

be 94.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Mozambique, 11.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 0.6% of people as of 2024.

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live 17.2 years longer

In Mozambique, the average life expectancy is 64 years (60 years for men, 67 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.

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see 13.5 times more spent on your healthcare

Mozambique spends $143 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.

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have 15.4 times more doctors per person

Mozambique has 1.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.

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have 84.1% more access to essential health services

Mozambique scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.

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be 24.0% less likely to die by suicide

Mozambique has a suicide rate of 10.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In Mozambique, 10.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 73.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mozambique, 65.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.

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make 31.9 times more money

Mozambique has a GDP per capita of $627 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.

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Life

be 75.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mozambique, approximately 99.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 58.9% more likely to be literate

In Mozambique, the literacy rate is 61.7% as of 2022. In Costa Rica, it is 98.0% as of 2021.

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be 79.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Mozambique, approximately 43.7 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.

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have 73.0% fewer children

In Mozambique, there are approximately 37.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 2.8 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Mozambique, approximately 36% of people have electricity access (79% in urban areas, and 9% 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.

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be 4.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Mozambique, approximately 20.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.

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be 49.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Mozambique, approximately 67% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 52% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 11.2% less on education

Mozambique spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 19.2% less on healthcare

Mozambique spends 8.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 47.8% less coastline

Mozambique has a total of 2,470 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.

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Safety

be 22.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Mozambique, road accidents kill 20.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 166.4 times more home broadband

Mozambique has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.

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use 5.8 times more electricity

Mozambique uses 391 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.

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live with 3.4 times more strain on fresh water

Mozambique withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 76.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Mozambique, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.6 times more CO2

Mozambique emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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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

Costa Rica: At a glance

Costa Rica is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 51,060 sq km. Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
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How big is Costa Rica compared to Mozambique? See an in-depth size comparison.

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