Costa Rica vs Mexico: Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required
Costa Rica
8.9%
in 2022
Mexico
8.2%
in 2022
Costa Rica rank
75th
Mexico rank
78th
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required over time
- Costa Rica
- Mexico
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 8.9% against 8.2% in Mexico, a difference of 0.7%.
That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.1 times Mexico's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 20 shared years of data; in 2003 it was Mexico ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 75th and Mexico ranks 78th of 134 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 1 and Mexico in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Mexico | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.5% | 17.1% | 1.5% | Mexico |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 11.8% | 3.1% | Mexico |
| 2020s | 9.1% | 8.8% | 0.3% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required, Costa Rica or Mexico?
- Costa Rica, at 8.9% against 8.2% in Mexico as of 2022.
- What is the difference in share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required between Costa Rica and Mexico?
- 0.7%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Mexico?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2003 to 2022.
- How do Costa Rica and Mexico rank globally for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required?
- Costa Rica ranks 75th and Mexico ranks 78th of 134 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out-of-pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.