Costa Rica

Country in Central America, North America · ranked on 1,859 metrics

Rank among countries

Costa Rica is a country in North America with a population of 5,174,789 (127th of 235). It ranks best for World Happiness Score (6th of 144), Freedom of Expression Score GSoD (tied 10th of 170), CO₂ Emissions per $1K GDP (tied 11th of 198). It ranks lowest for Gini Coefficient - Income (tied 157th of 172), Violent Gun Deaths as % of All Deaths IHME (tied 177th of 194), Rate of Violent Gun Death IHME (184th of 204).

Population
5.2M
127th highest of 235
Density
101.3
117th highest of 235
Growth rate
0.42%
148th highest of 235
Area
51,100
129th highest of 235
Continent
North America
Central America

Strengths and weak spotsPercentileWhere a place sits among all places, from 0 to 100. 100 is the best, 50 is the middle, 0 is the worst.More in the glossary →

Percentile on 457 metrics that rank at least half of all countries, given whether higher or lower is better.

Totals that track populationCounts like “number of burglaries” that mostly reflect how many people live somewhere, so big places rank high or low regardless.More in the glossary →

Best at

Highest percentiles, given whether higher or lower is better

  1. EIU Civil Liberties Score9.71
    Democracy Index by Country · 2024
    tied 2nd of 162
  2. Vacc. Rate PCV399.0%
    Vaccination Rates by Country · 2024
    tied 1st of 156
  3. Happy Planet Index Score54.1
    Happy Planet Index by Country · 2021
    4th of 147
  4. World Happiness Rank6th
    Happiest Countries in the World · 2025
    6th of 144
  5. V-Dem LDI Score0.809
    V Dem Democracy Index by Country · 2025
    7th of 171
  6. Inflation Rate-0.99%
    Inflation Rate by Country · 2025
    7th of 159
  7. Freedom of Expression Score GSoD0.82
    Countries with Freedom of Speech · 2024
    tied 10th of 170
  8. Dentists10.89 /10k
    Doctors per Capita by Country
    14th of 193
  9. COVID Vaccination Rate267 doses per 100k
    COVID Vaccines by Country · 2023
    15th of 200
  10. Male Tobacco Users11.3%
    Smoking Rates by Country · 2025
    13th of 167

Worst at

Lowest percentiles, given whether higher or lower is better

  1. Parliamentary Representation of Women49.1%
    Most Dangerous Countries for Women · 2025
    191st of 197
  2. Change in Colon Cancer Rates 1990-201788.8%
    Colon Cancer Rate by Country
    181st of 191
  3. Opiate Use (Best Estimate)0.03%
    Opiate Usage by Country
    tied 116th of 124
  4. STD Rate Female36,491 per 100k
    STD Rates by Country · 2023
    189th of 201
  5. Stomach Cancer ASR14.0 cases per 100k
    Stomach Cancer Rates by Country · 2022
    173rd of 185
  6. Gini Coefficient - Income45.8
    Gini Coefficient by Country
    tied 157th of 172
  7. Violent Gun Deaths as % of All Deaths IHME1.64%
    Gun Deaths by Country · 2023
    tied 177th of 194
  8. Homicides Rate9.18 per 100k
    Gun Violence by Country · 2023
    184th of 204
  9. Prisoners per 100k Population345
    Most Strict Countries in the World · 2024
    tied 195th of 219
  10. QRI Score2.71
    Road Quality by Country · 2019
    124th of 140

Profile by category

Average percentile per category, from the median line. Select a category to list its metrics.

Strongest category Population (74), weakest Geography (36). Select a category to list its metrics.

Notable facts

Where it ranks first or last among countries

Where it is

Shaded by population; select a place to open it

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Similar places

Closest percentiles on 60 widely reported measures from 12 categories, leaving out size and totals

  1. Chile78% similar
  2. Mexico78% similar
  3. Ecuador77% similar
  4. Colombia76% similar
  5. El Salvador74% similar

Cities in Costa Rica

1 city with a report card, largest first

Quick answers

What is the population of Costa Rica?
Costa Rica has a population of 5,174,789, 127th among 235 countries.
What does Costa Rica rank best at?
Among countries, Costa Rica ranks best for World Happiness Score (6th of 144); Freedom of Expression Score GSoD (tied 10th of 170); CO₂ Emissions per $1K GDP (tied 11th of 198).
Where does Costa Rica rank worst?
Costa Rica ranks lowest for Gini Coefficient - Income (tied 157th of 172); Violent Gun Deaths as % of All Deaths IHME (tied 177th of 194); Rate of Violent Gun Death IHME (184th of 204).
How many statistics does Rankodex have for Costa Rica?
Rankodex ranks Costa Rica on 1,859 statistics compared with other countries, compiled from World Population Review and the sources it cites.

Every metric

1,859 metrics with a value for this place, in 628 topics