Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line over time
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 23.6% against 23.6% in El Salvador, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 29 shared years of data; in 1989 it was El Salvador ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 45th and El Salvador ranks 45th of 123 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 1 and El Salvador in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31.4% | 36.1% | 4.7% | El Salvador |
| 1990s | 29.4% | 36.0% | 6.6% | El Salvador |
| 2000s | 26.6% | 31.9% | 5.3% | El Salvador |
| 2010s | 24.4% | 26.6% | 2.2% | El Salvador |
| 2020s | 24.3% | 24.3% | 0.0% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
- Costa Rica, at 23.6% against 23.6% in El Salvador as of 2025.
- What is the difference in poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line between Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 0.0%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2023.
- How do Costa Rica and El Salvador rank globally for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Costa Rica ranks 45th and El Salvador ranks 45th of 123 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.