Proportion of population below the international poverty line of in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Proportion of population below the international poverty line of was 1.0% in 2017. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2017)
1.0%
Change on year
down 23.1%
World rank
32nd
of 80 countries
All-time high
6.5%
in 2000
All-time low
1.0%
in 2017
Years of data
18
2000–2017
Proportion of population below the international poverty line of in Costa Rica, 2000–2017
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 1.0% for proportion of population below the international poverty line of in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.
The figure is down 23.1% on the previous year and down 41.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population below the international poverty line of in Costa Rica peaked at 6.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2017.
That places Costa Rica 32nd out of 80 countries with data for 2017, putting it 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 the international poverty line of in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.5% | — |
| 2001 | 4.7% | -27.7% |
| 2002 | 4.5% | -4.3% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 4.3% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | -27.9% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 1.7% | -46.9% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | +29.4% |
| 2009 | 2.4% | +9.1% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | -37.5% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 1.6% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -12.5% |
| 2015 | 1.5% | +7.1% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | -23.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 1.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.3%, 2.9× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 1.0% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.5%, 40% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.7% | 1.7% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 29 Egypt 1.3% compare
- 30 Paraguay 1.2% compare
- 30 United States of America 1.2% compare
- 32 Spain 1.0% compare
- 34 Sri Lanka 0.8% compare
- 35 Chile 0.7% compare
- 35 Latvia 0.7% compare
- 35 Lithuania 0.7% compare
- 35 Slovakia 0.7% compare
- 35 Austria 0.7% compare
- 35 Croatia 0.7% compare
- 35 China 0.7% compare
- 35 Australia 0.7% 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 proportion of population below the international poverty line of in Costa Rica?
- Proportion of population below the international poverty line of in Costa Rica was 1.0% in 2017, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest proportion of population below the international poverty line of recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below the international poverty line of recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2017.
- How does Costa Rica rank for proportion of population below the international poverty line of?
- Costa Rica ranks 32nd out of 80 countries with data for 2017.
- Is proportion of population below the international poverty line of rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Proportion of population below the international poverty line of US$1.90 per day (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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