Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) in Costa Rica, 1981–2025
Source: 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. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 0.8% for poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 38.5% on the previous year and down 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) in Costa Rica peaked at 33.5% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2025.
That places Costa Rica 73rd out of 123 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 33.5% | — |
| 1986 | 19.3% | -42.4% |
| 1989 | 14.4% | -25.4% |
| 1990 | 13.9% | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 17.1% | +23.0% |
| 1992 | 13.8% | -19.3% |
| 1993 | 11.8% | -14.5% |
| 1994 | 9.4% | -20.3% |
| 1995 | 10.6% | +12.8% |
| 1996 | 11.7% | +10.4% |
| 1997 | 9.1% | -22.2% |
| 1998 | 7.5% | -17.6% |
| 1999 | 9.3% | +24.0% |
| 2000 | 9.8% | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 7.6% | -22.4% |
| 2002 | 6.6% | -13.2% |
| 2003 | 6.9% | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 6.6% | -4.3% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | -24.2% |
| 2006 | 5.2% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | -40.4% |
| 2008 | 3.4% | +9.7% |
| 2009 | 3.6% | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | -38.9% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | +22.7% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | -29.2% |
| 2018 | 2.3% | +35.3% |
| 2019 | 1.7% | -26.1% |
| 2020 | 3.4% | +100.0% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | -35.3% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -27.3% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | -38.5% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 0.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%, 2.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 0.8% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.5%, 31% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 22.4% | 14.4% | 33.5% | 3 |
| 1990s | 11.4% | 7.5% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.8% | 3.1% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.7% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 0.8% | 3.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More poverty & inequality data for Costa Rica
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 10 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.33 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,807 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -14.41 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 24.93 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 24.9% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) in Costa Rica?
- Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) in Costa Rica was 0.8% in 2025, according to 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.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 33.5% in 1981.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp)?
- Costa Rica ranks 73rd out of 123 countries with data for 2025.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.00 a day at 2021 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.