Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, you would:
Health
live 9.6 years longer
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 74 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 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines spends $908 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 17.4% more access to essential health services
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines scores 69 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 19.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a suicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 62.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 18.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
make 59.0% more money
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a GDP per capita of $12,562 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
Life
be 57.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, approximately 56.0 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 10.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, approximately 10.2 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 16.5% fewer children
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, there are approximately 12.0 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 14.4% more likely to have internet access
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, approximately 76.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 17.8% less on education
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines spends 6.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 54.7% more on healthcare
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 15.4 times more coastline
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a total of 84 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 65.4% less likely to be murdered
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a homicide rate of 51.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 3.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, road accidents kill 4.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 25.6% less strain on fresh water
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
find 20.9% less home broadband
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has 29.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
Environment
be 40.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, air pollution causes 25.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 24.4% more CO2
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines emits 1.3 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. How we calculate this
Compare further: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Costa Rica
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Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines? See an in-depth size comparison.