Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Virgin Islands, you would:

Economy

be 22.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Virgin Islands, 10.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Costa Rica, that number is 8.1% as of 2017.

be 27.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Virgin Islands, 28.9% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 21.0% as of 2019.

make 46.8% less money

Virgin Islands has a GDP per capita of $37,000 as of 2016, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,700 as of 2020.

Life

have 22.8% more children

In Virgin Islands, there are approximately 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Costa Rica, there are 14.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 26.6% more likely to have internet access

In Virgin Islands, approximately 64.0% of the population has internet access as of 2019. In Costa Rica, about 81.0% do as of 2020.

Geography

see 6.9 times more coastline

Virgin Islands has a total of 188 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Virgin Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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