Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 80.8 years in Costa Rica and 75 years in Nicaragua, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Costa Rica, by 5.8 years, or 1.08 times that in Nicaragua.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

Costa RicaNicaraguaEstimates, Our World in DataUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Costa Rica has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Costa Rica ranked 47 and Nicaragua ranked 115 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Costa Rica at 91.2 years and Nicaragua at 85.9 years in 2100.
The world as a whole: 73.2 years in 2023.

Every year

years · UN

Year	Costa Rica	Nicaragua	World
2023	80.8	75	73.2
2022	79.3	74.5	72.6
2021	78.1	70.5	70.9
2020	79.7	70.8	71.9
2019	80.3	73.8	72.6
2018	80.1	73.9	72.4
2017	80	73.4	72.1
2016	80	73.2	71.9
2015	80.4	72.9	71.6
2014	80.2	72.8	71.4
2013	80.2	72.6	71.1
2012	79.9	72.4	70.8
2011	79.6	72	70.4
2010	79.4	71.8	70.1
2009	79.4	71.5	69.7
2008	79.2	71.4	69.3
2007	79.1	71.2	69
2006	79.1	71	68.6
2005	78.9	70.4	68.1
2004	78.5	69.5	67.7
2003	78.2	68.8	67.4
2002	77.9	68	67.1
2001	77.6	67	66.8
2000	77.3	66.4	66.4
1999	77.1	65.9	66
1998	76.9	64.1	65.7
1997	76.6	65.5	65.5
1996	76.4	65.2	65.2
1995	76.4	64.9	64.9
1994	76.3	64.6	64.3
1993	76.3	64.1	64.4
1992	76.4	63.7	64.3
1991	76.2	63.3	64.1
1990	76.1	62.5	64
1989	75.9	61.9	63.8
1988	75.6	59.8	63.4
1987	75.2	57.3	63.2
1986	75	57.6	62.7
1985	74.8	56.4	62.2
1984	74.6	56.1	61.9
1983	74.3	56.9	61.5
1982	73.9	58.7	61.3
1981	73.4	58.3	60.9
1980	73	58	60.5
1979	72.5	50.8	60.2
1978	72	53.5	59.5
1977	71.5	56.1	59.2
1976	71	56.1	58.6
1975	70.3	55.8	58.3
1974	69.5	55.4	58.1
1973	68.7	55	57.7
1972	68	48	57.2
1971	67.4	54.2	56
1970	66.8	53.8	56.3
1969	66.4	53.4	56
1968	65.8	52.9	55.6
1967	65.6	52.4	55.1
1966	65.1	51.6	54.6
1965	64.8	50.7	54
1964	64.5	49.6	54.3
1963	64.3	48.8	53.7
1962	64.2	48	53.2
1961	63.9	47.3	50.4
1960	63.5	46.4	47.8
1959	62.9	46.1	49.6
1958	62.3	45.5	51.6
1957	61.6	44.9	51.1
1956	61.2	44.3	50.7
1955	60.5	43.7	50.2
1954	59.9	43.1	49.7
1953	59.1	42.5	48.8
1952	58.1	41.9	48.2
1951	57.8	40.8	47.1
1950	57.5	40.6	46.4
1940	49	34	–
1930	42	28	–
1920	37	24	–
1910	33	–	–
1900	32	–	–
1875	30.2	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Costa Rica	Nicaragua	World
2024	8180.1–81.9	75.173.9–76.3	73.3
2025	81.280–82.5	75.373.6–77	73.5
2026	81.479.9–82.9	75.473.3–77.5	73.8
2027	81.679.7–83.4	75.673.1–77.9	73.9
2028	81.879.7–83.8	75.773.1–78.3	74.1
2029	81.979.7–84.2	75.973.1–78.6	74.2
2030	82.179.8–84.5	76.173.1–79.2	74.4
2031	82.379.8–84.8	76.273–79.4	74.5
2032	82.579.8–85.1	76.472.8–79.8	74.7
2033	82.779.9–85.4	76.672.9–80	74.8
2034	82.880–85.6	76.773–80.3	75
2035	8380–86	76.972.8–80.6	75.1
2036	83.280.1–86.1	7772.8–81	75.3
2037	83.380–86.4	77.272.8–81.3	75.4
2038	83.580–86.7	77.372.9–81.7	75.5
2039	83.780.2–87	77.572.9–81.8	75.7
2040	83.880.2–87.2	77.673–82	75.8
2041	8480.2–87.4	77.872.8–82.2	75.9
2042	84.180.2–87.8	77.972.8–82.4	76.1
2043	84.380.4–88	78.172.9–82.6	76.2
2044	84.480.4–88.3	78.372.8–82.7	76.3
2045	84.680.7–88.6	78.472.9–83.2	76.5
2046	84.780.8–88.7	78.673–83.4	76.6
2047	84.980.9–88.9	78.773–83.7	76.7
2048	8581–89.1	78.973–84	76.8
2049	85.181.1–89.1	7973–84.1	76.9
2050	85.381.3–89.5	79.273–84.3	77
2051	85.481.2–89.6	79.373.2–84.5	77.1
2052	85.581.3–89.9	79.573.1–84.8	77.2
2053	85.781.5–90.1	79.673.3–85.1	77.3
2054	85.881.6–90.2	79.873.2–85.4	77.4
2055	85.981.8–90.6	79.973.4–85.6	77.6
2056	86.181.9–90.8	80.173.4–85.7	77.7
2057	86.281.9–91	80.273.4–85.8	77.8
2058	86.382.1–91.2	80.473.6–86	77.9
2059	86.582.2–91.4	80.573.7–86.4	78
2060	86.682.3–91.7	80.773.7–86.5	78.1
2061	86.782.5–91.8	80.873.8–86.7	78.2
2062	86.882.3–92.1	8173.9–86.8	78.3
2063	8782.3–92.2	81.173.8–87.2	78.4
2064	87.182.5–92.4	81.373.8–87.2	78.5
2065	87.282.6–92.6	81.473.9–87.4	78.6
2066	87.382.8–92.7	81.574.1–87.7	78.7
2067	87.482.7–92.8	81.774–87.8	78.8
2068	87.682.8–93.1	81.874.4–87.9	78.9
2069	87.782.9–93.3	8274.6–88	79
2070	87.883–93.6	82.174.6–88.2	79.1
2071	87.983–93.5	82.274.5–88.2	79.2
2072	8883.1–93.5	82.474.7–88.3	79.3
2073	88.283.2–93.7	82.574.7–88.5	79.4
2074	88.383.2–94.1	82.674.7–88.6	79.4
2075	88.483.3–94.3	82.874.8–88.8	79.5
2076	88.583.4–94.6	82.975–89.1	79.6
2077	88.683.5–94.9	8375.2–89	79.7
2078	88.783.7–95	83.275.3–89	79.8
2079	88.983.7–95.2	83.375.3–89.3	79.9
2080	8983.9–95.3	83.475.1–89.4	80
2081	89.183.9–95.5	83.675.2–89.5	80.1
2082	89.283.9–95.7	83.775.3–89.7	80.2
2083	89.383.9–95.8	83.875.3–90	80.3
2084	89.484–95.9	83.975.3–90.1	80.3
2085	89.584.1–95.9	84.175.3–90.3	80.4
2086	89.684.2–96.2	84.275.4–90.5	80.5
2087	89.784.1–96.5	84.375.4–90.6	80.6
2088	89.984.2–96.5	84.475.6–90.9	80.7
2089	9084.3–96.8	84.575.9–91	80.8
2090	90.184.3–96.8	84.775.7–91.1	80.9
2091	90.284.4–97	84.875.8–91.4	81
2092	90.384.6–97.2	84.976–91.4	81
2093	90.484.4–97.5	8576–91.4	81.1
2094	90.584.6–97.6	85.175.9–91.5	81.2
2095	90.684.6–97.8	85.376.2–91.7	81.3
2096	90.784.8–97.9	85.476.3–91.9	81.4
2097	90.884.9–98.3	85.576.5–92.3	81.5
2098	9184.8–98.2	85.676.5–92.3	81.6
2099	91.184.9–98.3	85.776.6–92.3	81.7
2100	91.284.8–98.5	85.976.7–92.6	81.7

Each country on its own

Good to know

How long a newborn would live on average if the year’s death rates held all its life.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
Before 1950: Our World in Data, long-run life expectancy.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, 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: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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