Costa Rica vs United Kingdom: Life expectancy (Organisation)
Costa Rica
81.1 Years
in 2025
United Kingdom
81.3 Years
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
24th
United Kingdom rank
22nd
Life expectancy (Organisation) over time
- Costa Rica
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 81.3 Years against 81.1 Years in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.2 Years.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 49 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 41 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 60.7 Years | 70.75 Years | 10.05 Years | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 66.1 Years | 71.9 Years | 5.8 Years | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 74.06 Years | 74.54 Years | 0.48 Years | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 76.48 Years | 76.56 Years | 0.08 Years | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 78.69 Years | 78.86 Years | 0.17 Years | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 79.78 Years | 80.91 Years | 1.13 Years | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 80.84 Years | 80.8 Years | 0.04 Years | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life expectancy, Costa Rica or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 81.3 Years against 81.1 Years in Costa Rica as of 2024.
- What is the difference in life expectancy between Costa Rica and United Kingdom?
- 0.2 Years, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and United Kingdom?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and United Kingdom rank globally for life expectancy?
- Costa Rica ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 41 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as Life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This dataset presents data on life expectancy at birth, and at ages 40, 60, 65 and 80 years old. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.