Costa Rica vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Life expectancy at birth, total
Costa Rica
81 years
in 2024
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
62.8 years
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
47th
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank
44th
Life expectancy at birth, total over time
- Costa Rica
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 81 years against 62.8 years in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 18.2 years.
That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.3 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s.
Across all 65 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 47th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 44th of 218 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 64.79 years | 42.9 years | 21.9 years | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 69.77 years | 46.33 years | 23.43 years | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 74.55 years | 49.12 years | 25.43 years | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 76.48 years | 50.33 years | 26.15 years | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 78.52 years | 53.81 years | 24.7 years | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 80.01 years | 59.18 years | 20.83 years | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 79.78 years | 61.83 years | 17.95 years | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life expectancy at birth, total, Costa Rica or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Costa Rica, at 81 years against 62.8 years in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2024.
- What is the difference in life expectancy at birth, total between Costa Rica and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 18.2 years, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank globally for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Costa Rica ranks 47th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 44th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.