Costa Rica vs Ecuador: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median
Costa Rica
12.6%
in 2025
Ecuador
11.4%
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
13th
Ecuador rank
16th
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median over time
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 12.6% against 11.4% in Ecuador, a difference of 1.2%.
That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.1 times Ecuador's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1994 it was Ecuador ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 13th and Ecuador ranks 16th of 120 countries.
Ecuador has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Ecuador | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.3% | 16.4% | 2.1% | Ecuador |
| 2000s | 13.5% | 15.4% | 1.9% | Ecuador |
| 2010s | 12.9% | 12.9% | 0.1% | Ecuador |
| 2020s | 12.7% | 13.4% | 0.7% | Ecuador |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median, Costa Rica or Ecuador?
- Costa Rica, at 12.6% against 11.4% in Ecuador as of 2025.
- What is the difference in relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median between Costa Rica and Ecuador?
- 1.2%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Ecuador?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Ecuador rank globally for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median?
- Costa Rica ranks 13th and Ecuador ranks 16th 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 Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 40% of the median.