Costa Rica vs United States: Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median
Costa Rica
26.4%
in 2025
United States
25.9%
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
11th
United States rank
14th
Relative poverty: Share of population below 60% of the median over time
- Costa Rica
- United States
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 26.4% against 25.9% in United States, a difference of 0.5%.
Across all 38 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 11th and United States ranks 14th of 120 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 27.8% | 23.8% | 4.0% | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 26.5% | 24.6% | 1.9% | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 26.6% | 24.5% | 2.1% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 25.0% | 1.2% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 26.6% | 24.6% | 2.0% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median, Costa Rica or United States?
- Costa Rica, at 26.4% against 25.9% in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median between Costa Rica and United States?
- 0.5%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and United States?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and United States rank globally for relative poverty: share of population below 60% of the median?
- Costa Rica ranks 11th and United States ranks 14th 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 60% 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 60% of the median.