Proportion of population below international poverty line in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Proportion of population below international poverty line was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Costa Rica, 1981–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2025, proportion of population below international poverty line in Costa Rica stood at 0.8%. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is down 38.5% on the previous year and down 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in Costa Rica peaked at 33.5% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2025.
Costa Rica ranks 61st of 110 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | 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% |
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 proportion of population below international poverty line in Costa Rica?
- Proportion of population below international poverty line in Costa Rica was 0.8% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 33.5% in 1981.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- Costa Rica ranks 61st out of 110 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of population below international poverty line 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 United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).