Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 23.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 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
The most recent figure for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Costa Rica is 23.6%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is down 4.1% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Costa Rica peaked at 40.1% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 23.6%, in 2017.
That places Costa Rica 45th out of 123 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 40.1% | — |
| 1986 | 32.0% | -20.2% |
| 1989 | 31.4% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 29.8% | -5.1% |
| 1991 | 32.3% | +8.4% |
| 1992 | 30.3% | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 29.7% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 28.5% | -4.0% |
| 1995 | 28.8% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 29.6% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 29.3% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 27.5% | -6.1% |
| 1999 | 28.7% | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 28.3% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 27.9% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 27.7% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 27.3% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 27.5% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 26.3% | -4.4% |
| 2006 | 26.2% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 24.8% | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 24.3% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 26.0% | +7.0% |
| 2010 | 24.0% | -7.7% |
| 2011 | 26.1% | +8.8% |
| 2012 | 25.0% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 24.3% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 25.0% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 23.8% | -4.8% |
| 2016 | 24.7% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 23.6% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 23.7% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 24.2% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 25.9% | +7.0% |
| 2021 | 24.8% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 23.9% | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 24.2% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 24.6% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 23.6% | -4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 34.5% | 31.4% | 40.1% | 3 |
| 1990s | 29.4% | 27.5% | 32.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.6% | 24.3% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.4% | 23.6% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.5% | 23.6% | 25.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 43 Argentina 24.1% compare
- 44 Jamaica 23.7% compare
- 45 El Salvador 23.6% compare
- 47 Israel 23.5% compare
- 48 North Macedonia 23.3% compare
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 societal poverty line in Costa Rica?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Costa Rica was 23.6% 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 societal poverty line recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 40.1% in 1981.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.6% in 2017.
- How does Costa Rica rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Costa Rica ranks 45th out of 123 countries with data for 2025.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.