Costa Rica vs Nicaragua
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Safe drinking water
Safe drinking water: 80.5% in Costa Rica in 2022 and 55.5% in Nicaragua in 2020, by WHO/UNICEF estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Costa Rica, by 25 percentage points, or 1.45 times that in Nicaragua.
% of people · WHO/UNICEF
What the numbers say
- Costa Rica has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- The world as a whole: 72.3% in 2020.
Every year
% of people · WHO/UNICEF
| Year | Costa Rica | Nicaragua | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 80.5 | – | 72.9 |
| 2021 | 80.5 | – | 72.5 |
| 2020 | 80.5 | 55.5 | 72.3 |
| 2019 | 80.5 | 55.4 | 71.7 |
| 2018 | 80.5 | 55.4 | 71 |
| 2017 | 80.4 | 55.3 | 70.4 |
| 2016 | 80.3 | 55.3 | 69.7 |
| 2015 | 80.2 | 55.2 | 69.1 |
| 2014 | 80 | 55.1 | 68.4 |
| 2013 | 79.8 | 54.6 | 67.7 |
| 2012 | 79.6 | 53.7 | 67.1 |
| 2011 | 79.4 | 52.7 | 66.4 |
| 2010 | 79.2 | 51.7 | 65.9 |
| 2009 | 79 | 50.7 | 65.4 |
| 2008 | 78.8 | 49.6 | 64.9 |
| 2007 | 78.5 | 48.6 | 64.6 |
| 2006 | 78.3 | 48.5 | 64 |
| 2005 | 78 | 48.4 | 63.7 |
| 2004 | 77.7 | 48.3 | 63 |
| 2003 | 77.4 | 48.2 | 62.4 |
| 2002 | 77.1 | 48.1 | 61.8 |
| 2001 | 76.8 | 48 | 61.1 |
| 2000 | 76.4 | 47.9 | 60.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people whose drinking water comes from an improved source at home, there when needed and free of contamination.
- Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 135 countries with a value in 2022, 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
- 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