Life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Life expectancy at birth was 78.63 in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
78.63
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
32nd
of 184 countries
All-time high
80.61
in 2009
All-time low
78.07
in 2001
Years of data
22
2000–2021

Life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica, 2000–2021

0204060802000201020212000: 78.22001: 78.12002: 78.92003: 78.72004: 78.72005: 79.72006: 79.42007: 80.22008: 80.32009: 80.62010: 79.52011: 80.32012: 80.42013: 80.62014: 80.52015: 80.62016: 80.12017: 80.22018: 80.32019: 80.32020: 802021: 78.6

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 78.63 for life expectancy at birth in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica peaked at 80.61 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 78.07, in 2001.

Costa Rica ranks 32nd of 184 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 79.27 78.07 80.61 10
2010s 80.27 79.51 80.6 10
2020s 79.31 78.63 79.99 2

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 29 Greece 79.6 compare
  2. 30 Chile 79.02 compare
  3. 31 Kuwait 78.95 compare
  4. 33 United Arab Emirates 78.31 compare
  5. 34 China (People’s Republic of) 77.62 compare
  6. 35 Panama 77.24 compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More health data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica?
Life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica was 78.63 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 80.61 in 2009.
What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 78.07 in 2001.
How does Costa Rica rank for life expectancy at birth?
Costa Rica ranks 32nd out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Life expectancy at birth (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-at-birth-years/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Life expectancy at birth (years)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
196 places, 4,312 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed