Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Swaziland, you would:
Health
be 97.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Swaziland, 23.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 0.6% of people as of 2024.
live 16.7 years longer
In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 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.
see 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Swaziland spends $922 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 4.8 times more doctors per person
Swaziland has 5.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 44.6% more access to essential health services
Swaziland scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 70.4% less likely to die by suicide
Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 10.5% more likely to be obese
In Swaziland, 29.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 80.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Swaziland, 34.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
be 68.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Swaziland, 53.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
make 4.9 times more money
Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $4,108 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
Life
be 79.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Swaziland, approximately 118.0 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 78.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Swaziland, approximately 42.2 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 57.8% fewer children
In Swaziland, there are approximately 23.6 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 15.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Swaziland, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 85% 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 37.5% more likely to have internet access
In Swaziland, approximately 63.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
be 24.2% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 74% 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 11.9% less on education
Swaziland spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 37.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Swaziland, road accidents kill 24.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 41.9% more likely to be murdered
Swaziland has a homicide rate of 12.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 9.3 times more home broadband
Swaziland has 2.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 92.4% less strain on fresh water
Swaziland withdraws 78% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 90.3% more electricity
Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 77.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Swaziland, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 85.2% more CO2
Swaziland emits 0.9 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Swaziland vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Swaziland? See an in-depth size comparison.