Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Pakistan, you would:
Health
live 13.2 years longer
In Pakistan, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 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 12.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Pakistan spends $152 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 2.3 times more doctors per person
Pakistan has 11.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 80.0% more access to essential health services
Pakistan scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 33.4% more likely to be obese
In Pakistan, 24.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 42.9% more likely to die by suicide
Pakistan has a suicide rate of 5.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 40.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Pakistan, 28.9% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
make 12.5 times more money
Pakistan has a GDP per capita of $1,596 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 26.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Pakistan, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 84.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Pakistan, approximately 155.0 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 66.5% more likely to be literate
In Pakistan, the literacy rate is 58.9% as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 98.0% as of 2021.
be 81.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Pakistan, approximately 48.2 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 63.6% fewer children
In Pakistan, there are approximately 27.4 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 52.3% more likely to have internet access
In Pakistan, approximately 57.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
be 10.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Pakistan, approximately 91% of people have access to drinking water (93% in urban areas, and 89% 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 2.7 times more on education
Pakistan spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.7 times more on healthcare
Pakistan spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 23.3% more coastline
Pakistan has a total of 1,046 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 4.1 times more likely to be murdered
Pakistan has a homicide rate of 4.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Pakistan, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 15.8 times more home broadband
Pakistan has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 94.7% less strain on fresh water
Pakistan withdraws 110% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 4.4 times more electricity
Pakistan uses 518 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 85.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Pakistan, air pollution causes 105.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.0 times more CO2
Pakistan emits 0.8 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), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Pakistan vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Pakistan? See an in-depth size comparison.