Neonatal mortality rate (United Nations) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Neonatal mortality rate (United Nations) was 0.7303 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.7303 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
108th
of 199 countries
All-time high
3.42 deaths per 100 live births
in 1953
All-time low
0.6145 deaths per 100 live births
in 2017
Years of data
72
1953–2024
Neonatal mortality rate in Costa Rica, 1953–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 0.7303 deaths per 100 live births for neonatal mortality rate in 2024.
That represents a change of up 3.6% on the previous year and up 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Costa Rica peaked at 3.42 deaths per 100 live births in 1953 and was at its lowest, 0.6145 deaths per 100 live births, in 2017.
That places Costa Rica 108th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Neonatal mortality rate (United Nations) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 3.42 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1954 | 3.39 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1955 | 3.35 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1956 | 3.29 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1957 | 3.22 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1958 | 3.15 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1959 | 3.07 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1960 | 3.03 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1961 | 3.01 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 3.02 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 3.04 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 3.06 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 3.05 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 3.02 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 2.96 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 2.87 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1969 | 2.76 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 2.61 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1971 | 2.43 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 1972 | 2.24 deaths per 100 live births | -7.8% |
| 1973 | 2.06 deaths per 100 live births | -8.4% |
| 1974 | 1.88 deaths per 100 live births | -8.7% |
| 1975 | 1.73 deaths per 100 live births | -8.0% |
| 1976 | 1.61 deaths per 100 live births | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 1.47 deaths per 100 live births | -8.9% |
| 1978 | 1.33 deaths per 100 live births | -9.6% |
| 1979 | 1.22 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 1980 | 1.16 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1981 | 1.13 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 1.12 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 1.11 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 1.1 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 1.07 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 1.04 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 1 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1988 | 0.9613 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 0.9236 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 0.8957 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 0.8827 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 0.8799 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 0.8784 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 0.8723 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 0.8598 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 0.8383 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 0.8127 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 0.791 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 0.7756 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 0.7622 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 0.7461 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 0.7302 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 0.7191 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 0.7134 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 0.7085 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 0.7 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 0.6885 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 0.677 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 0.6675 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 0.6597 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 0.6519 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 0.6442 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 0.6356 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 0.6267 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.6196 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 0.6154 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 0.6145 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.6172 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 0.6243 deaths per 100 live births | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 0.6365 deaths per 100 live births | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 0.6548 deaths per 100 live births | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 0.6787 deaths per 100 live births | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 0.7051 deaths per 100 live births | +3.9% |
| 2024 | 0.7303 deaths per 100 live births | +3.6% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 0.7303 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.2623 deaths per 100 live births, 2.8× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 0.7303 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.8233 deaths per 100 live births, 89% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.27 deaths per 100 live births | 3.07 deaths per 100 live births | 3.42 deaths per 100 live births | 7 |
| 1960s | 2.98 deaths per 100 live births | 2.76 deaths per 100 live births | 3.06 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.86 deaths per 100 live births | 1.22 deaths per 100 live births | 2.61 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.06 deaths per 100 live births | 0.9236 deaths per 100 live births | 1.16 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8486 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7756 deaths per 100 live births | 0.8957 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7113 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6675 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7622 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6309 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6145 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6597 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6811 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6365 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7303 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 105 Jordan 0.7414 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 106 Bolivia 0.7341 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 107 Bhutan 0.7309 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 109 Iran 0.7202 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 110 Mongolia 0.716 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 111 Brazil 0.7125 deaths per 100 live births compare
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)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 35 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -3.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0248 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -3.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0259 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is neonatal mortality rate in Costa Rica?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Costa Rica was 0.7303 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 3.42 deaths per 100 live births in 1953.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6145 deaths per 100 live births in 2017.
- How does Costa Rica rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 108th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Neonatal mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged less than 28 days, per 100 live births .