Children newly infected with HIV in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Children newly infected with HIV was 20.67 infections in 2024. ▲ Rising
Children newly infected with HIV in Costa Rica, 1990–2024
Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in infections.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 20.67 infections for children newly infected with hiv in 2024.
The figure is up 103.3% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, children newly infected with hiv in Costa Rica peaked at 24.01 infections in 2013 and was at its lowest, 7.59 infections, in 2021.
Costa Rica ranks 76th of 86 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Children newly infected with HIV in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | infections | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.7 infections | — |
| 1991 | 11.37 infections | +6.3% |
| 1992 | 11.8 infections | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 12.01 infections | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 12.08 infections | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 12.11 infections | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 12.08 infections | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 12.18 infections | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 12.53 infections | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 13.13 infections | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 13.72 infections | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 14.48 infections | +5.6% |
| 2002 | 14.95 infections | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 15.74 infections | +5.3% |
| 2004 | 16.51 infections | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 17.64 infections | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 17.48 infections | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 18.87 infections | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 20.59 infections | +9.1% |
| 2009 | 21.19 infections | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 20.69 infections | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 23.64 infections | +14.3% |
| 2012 | 22.01 infections | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 24.01 infections | +9.1% |
| 2014 | 23.87 infections | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 15.82 infections | -33.7% |
| 2016 | 15.44 infections | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 12.98 infections | -15.9% |
| 2018 | 12.09 infections | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 10.49 infections | -13.2% |
| 2020 | 12.7 infections | +21.1% |
| 2021 | 7.59 infections | -40.2% |
| 2022 | 20.52 infections | +170.3% |
| 2023 | 10.16 infections | -50.5% |
| 2024 | 20.67 infections | +103.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 20.67 infections is above the median for high income countries, which is 13.88 infections, 1.5× the median. (8 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 20.67 infections is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 64.49 infections, 32% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Children newly infected with HIV in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +170.3% | 7.59 infections | 20.52 infections |
| 2024 | +103.3% | 10.16 infections | 20.67 infections |
| 2023 | -50.5% | 20.52 infections | 10.16 infections |
| 2021 | -40.2% | 12.7 infections | 7.59 infections |
| 2015 | -33.7% | 23.87 infections | 15.82 infections |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12 infections | 10.7 infections | 13.13 infections | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.12 infections | 13.72 infections | 21.19 infections | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.1 infections | 10.49 infections | 24.01 infections | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.33 infections | 7.59 infections | 20.67 infections | 5 |
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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is children newly infected with hiv in Costa Rica?
- Children newly infected with hiv in Costa Rica was 20.67 infections in 2024, according to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest children newly infected with hiv recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 24.01 infections in 2013.
- What is the lowest children newly infected with hiv recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.59 infections in 2021.
- How does Costa Rica rank for children newly infected with hiv?
- Costa Rica ranks 76th out of 86 countries with data for 2024.
- Is children newly infected with hiv rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Children newly infected with HIV. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people aged 0-14 newly infected with HIV in the last 12 months. This is the central estimate.