Costa Rica vs Malawi: Number of people living in extreme poverty
Costa Rica
5.11 million people
in 2025
Malawi
4.71 million people
in 2019
Costa Rica rank
92nd
Malawi rank
94th
Number of people living in extreme poverty over time
- Costa Rica
- Malawi
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 5.11 million people against 4.71 million people in Malawi, a difference of 402,310 people.
That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.1 times Malawi's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 5 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Malawi ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 92nd and Malawi ranks 94th of 120 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 2 and Malawi in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Malawi | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.37 million people | 3.81 million people | 444,990 people | Malawi |
| 2000s | 3.92 million people | 3.22 million people | 702,500 people | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 4.71 million people | 4.59 million people | 113,247 people | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of people living in extreme poverty, Costa Rica or Malawi?
- Costa Rica, at 5.11 million people against 4.71 million people in Malawi as of 2025.
- What is the difference in number of people living in extreme poverty between Costa Rica and Malawi?
- 402,310 people, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Malawi?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2019.
- How do Costa Rica and Malawi rank globally for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Costa Rica ranks 92nd and Malawi ranks 94th of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.