Life expectancy in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Life expectancy was 79.28 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in Costa Rica, 1913–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 79.28 years for life expectancy in 2020. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Costa Rica peaked at 79.28 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 33.82 years, in 1913.
That places Costa Rica 31st out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 33.82 years | — |
| 1925 | 39.08 years | +15.5% |
| 1929 | 41.31 years | +5.7% |
| 1933 | 43.88 years | +6.2% |
| 1938 | 47.26 years | +7.7% |
| 1950 | 57.3 years | +21.3% |
| 1955 | 60.2 years | +5.1% |
| 1960 | 61.86 years | +2.8% |
| 1965 | 64.6 years | +4.4% |
| 1970 | 67.12 years | +3.9% |
| 1975 | 69.87 years | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 72.56 years | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 74.39 years | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 76.63 years | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 76.55 years | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 77.59 years | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 78.51 years | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 78.67 years | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 79.09 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 79.28 years | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 33.82 years | 33.82 years | 33.82 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 40.19 years | 39.08 years | 41.31 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 45.57 years | 43.88 years | 47.26 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 58.75 years | 57.3 years | 60.2 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 63.23 years | 61.86 years | 64.6 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 68.5 years | 67.12 years | 69.87 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 73.48 years | 72.56 years | 74.39 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 76.59 years | 76.55 years | 76.63 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 78.05 years | 77.59 years | 78.51 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 78.88 years | 78.67 years | 79.09 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 79.28 years | 79.28 years | 79.28 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More health data for Costa Rica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.78 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,632 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 35 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0256 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Costa Rica?
- Life expectancy in Costa Rica was 79.28 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 79.28 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.82 years in 1913.
- How does Costa Rica rank for life expectancy?
- Costa Rica ranks 31st out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of years a newborn would live if age-specific mortality rates in the current year were to stay the same throughout its life.