Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 80.8 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
80.8 years
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
46th
of 215 countries
All-time high
80.8 years
in 2023
All-time low
66.79 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Costa Rica, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Costa Rica is 80.8 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Costa Rica peaked at 80.8 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 66.79 years, in 1970.
Costa Rica ranks 46th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 66.79 years | — |
| 1971 | 67.41 years | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 68.01 years | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 68.73 years | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 69.45 years | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 70.25 years | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 70.95 years | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 71.52 years | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 72.03 years | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 72.54 years | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 73.03 years | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 73.44 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 73.86 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 74.25 years | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 74.58 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 74.77 years | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 74.95 years | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 75.22 years | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 75.55 years | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 75.85 years | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 76.09 years | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 76.24 years | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 76.39 years | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 76.31 years | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 76.33 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 76.44 years | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 76.43 years | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 76.6 years | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 76.87 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 77.06 years | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 77.32 years | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 77.61 years | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 77.94 years | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 78.21 years | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 78.51 years | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 78.88 years | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 79.05 years | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 79.1 years | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 79.18 years | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 79.37 years | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 79.35 years | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 79.62 years | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 79.92 years | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 80.19 years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 80.23 years | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 80.41 years | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 79.99 years | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 79.99 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 80.09 years | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 80.3 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 79.72 years | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 78.05 years | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 79.32 years | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 80.8 years | +1.9% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 80.8 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.17 years, 100% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 80.8 years is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 75.53 years, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 69.77 years | 66.79 years | 72.54 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.55 years | 73.03 years | 75.85 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.48 years | 76.09 years | 77.06 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.52 years | 77.32 years | 79.37 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.01 years | 79.35 years | 80.41 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.47 years | 78.05 years | 80.8 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 43 Chile 81.17 years compare
- 44 Maldives 81.04 years compare
- 45 Isle of Man 81 years compare
- 47 Germany 80.54 years compare
- 48 United States Virgin Islands 80.52 years compare
- 49 Cayman Islands 80.36 years compare
More population data for Costa Rica
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.2884 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6681 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,703 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5224 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7399 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1 (2100)
- Population density 73.96 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 123,827 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Costa Rica?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Costa Rica was 80.8 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 80.8 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.79 years in 1970.
- How does Costa Rica rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Costa Rica ranks 46th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total 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 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release