Life Expectancy in Costa Rica (2024): Men 78.4, Women 83.6

Life expectancy in Costa Rica since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Costa Rica has risen by 17.5 years, from 63.5 to 81.0. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 2.2 years (from 80.3 in 2019 to 78.1 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 5.2 years longer than men (83.6 vs 78.4).

Expected age at death in Costa Rica by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	78.4	79.8	80.5	82.3	88.2
Women	83.6	85.0	85.8	87.1	91.3

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Costa Rica’s figures (method).

How people die in Costa Rica

Chronic diseases: 82.1%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 7.2%
Injuries: 10.8%

In 2019, 82% of deaths in Costa Rica were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Costa Rica man has a 11% chance and a woman 9% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 14.8 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Costa Rica, about 10.4 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Costa Rica compared with its region

Costa Rica is in the World Bank’s Latin America & Caribbean region, where the average life expectancy is 75.5 years. It ranks #3 of 42 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
1	Puerto Rico (US)	81.9	78.3	85.4
2	Chile	81.4	79.5	83.2
3	Costa Rica	81.0	78.4	83.6
4	U.S. Virgin Islands	80.8	77.6	84.1
5	Cayman Islands	80.5	78.2	83.0
6	Saint Martin	80.4	77.0	84.0
7	Panama	79.8	76.9	82.7
8	Cuba	78.3	75.9	80.7
9	Uruguay	78.3	74.4	82.0

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Costa Rica?

81.0 years in 2024: 78.4 for men and 83.6 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Costa Rica?

Yes. Women in Costa Rica live about 5.2 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Costa Rica rank for life expectancy?

Costa Rica ranks #47 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 7.5 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Costa Rica?

Life expectancy at birth (81.0) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Costa Rica can expect to live to about 80.5, and a 40-year-old woman to about 85.8.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.