Costa Rica vs Nicaragua
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Forest area
Forest area: 59.1% in Costa Rica in 2024 and 25.8% in Nicaragua in 2023, by FAO estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Costa Rica, by 33.2 percentage points, or 2.28 times that in Nicaragua.
% of land · FAO
What the numbers say
- Costa Rica has been higher since 1995, when it overtook Nicaragua.
- The world as a whole: 31.1% in 2023.
Every year
% of land · FAO
| Year | Costa Rica | Nicaragua | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 59.1 | – | – |
| 2023 | 59 | 25.8 | 31.1 |
| 2022 | 58.9 | 40.3 | 31.1 |
| 2021 | 58.9 | 40.5 | 31.2 |
| 2020 | 58.2 | 40.7 | 31.2 |
| 2019 | 58.1 | 40.8 | 31.2 |
| 2018 | 58.1 | 41 | 31.3 |
| 2017 | 58 | 41.2 | 31.3 |
| 2016 | 57.9 | 41.4 | 31.3 |
| 2015 | 57.9 | 41.6 | 31.4 |
| 2014 | 57.6 | 41.8 | 31.4 |
| 2013 | 57.3 | 41.9 | 31.4 |
| 2012 | 57 | 42.1 | 31.5 |
| 2011 | 56.7 | 42.3 | 31.9 |
| 2010 | 56.4 | 42.5 | 32 |
| 2009 | 56.4 | 43.3 | 32 |
| 2008 | 56.3 | 44.1 | 32 |
| 2007 | 56.2 | 45 | 32.1 |
| 2006 | 56.2 | 45.8 | 32.1 |
| 2005 | 56.1 | 46.6 | 32.1 |
| 2004 | 56.1 | 47.4 | 32.2 |
| 2003 | 56 | 48.3 | 32.3 |
| 2002 | 55.9 | 49.1 | 32.3 |
| 2001 | 55.9 | 49.9 | 32.3 |
| 2000 | 55.8 | 50.7 | 32.4 |
| 1999 | 55.6 | 51.6 | 32.5 |
| 1998 | 55.4 | 52.4 | 32.5 |
| 1997 | 55.3 | 53.2 | 32.6 |
| 1996 | 55.1 | 54 | 32.7 |
| 1995 | 54.9 | 54.9 | 32.7 |
| 1994 | 54.7 | 55.7 | 32.8 |
| 1993 | 54.6 | 56.5 | 32.8 |
| 1992 | 54.4 | 57.3 | 33 |
| 1991 | 54.2 | 58.2 | – |
| 1990 | 54 | 59 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of land under trees at least 5 metres tall, natural or planted, leaving out orchards and city parks.
- Source: FAO, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 209 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua
Health
- Life expectancyCosta Rica: 80.8 years in 2023Nicaragua: 75 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCosta Rica: 1 per 100 live births in 2024Nicaragua: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCosta Rica: 6.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nicaragua: 12.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCosta Rica: 80.5% in 2022Nicaragua: 55.5% in 2020
- DepressionCosta Rica: 2.91% in 2017Nicaragua: 2.85% in 2017
- Suicide rateCosta Rica: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Nicaragua: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCosta Rica: 5.11 million people in 2023Nicaragua: 6.82 million people in 2023
- Population growthCosta Rica: 0.49% a year in 2023Nicaragua: 1.36% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCosta Rica: 1.33 births per woman in 2023Nicaragua: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCosta Rica: 79.7% in 2025Nicaragua: 59.4% in 2025
- Median ageCosta Rica: 34.1 years in 2023Nicaragua: 25.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCosta Rica: 11.7% in 2023Nicaragua: 5.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateCosta Rica: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Nicaragua: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCosta Rica: 0% of GDP in 2025Nicaragua: 0.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCosta Rica: $0 in 2025Nicaragua: $115M in 2025
- Military spending per personCosta Rica: $0 in 2025Nicaragua: $17 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCosta Rica: 0% of government spending in 2025Nicaragua: 2.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCosta Rica: 10,000 people in 2020Nicaragua: 12,000 people in 2020
- National powerCosta Rica: 0.03% of world capability in 2022Nicaragua: 0.04% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCosta Rica: 0.41% of the labour force in 2020Nicaragua: 0.41% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCosta Rica: 8 million TIV in 2019Nicaragua: 13 million TIV in 2019
- Arms exportsCosta Rica: 3 million TIV in 2009Nicaragua: 18 million TIV in 1993