Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
live 12.1 years longer
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 9.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 24.7 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 62.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 19.2% more likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 10.2 times more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 89.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 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 94.6% more likely to be literate
In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In Costa Rica, it is 98.0% as of 2021.
be 68.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 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 65.8% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 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 34.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% 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 45.0% more likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
be 13.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Senegal, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water (95% 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 13.8% less on education
Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 59.0% more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.4 times more coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 25.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.8 times more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 63.9% less strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 5.6 times more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 76.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Senegal, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.1 times more CO2
Senegal 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: Senegal vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.