In 2024, the share of population living on less than 3.20 U.S. dollars per day in Costa Rica amounted to 2.6 percent. Between 1981 and 2024, the figure dropped by 43.8 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

As of July 2024, in Costa Rica, the poverty rate among the population has been higher in the regions of Brunca and the Caribbean Huetar, with around ** percent of the people in each region experiencing poverty.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Costa Rica was reported at 24.4 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Costa Rica - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Urban poverty rate of Costa Rica went down by 0.51% from 19.5 % in 2014 to 19.4 % in 2015. Since the 3.68% climb in 2011, urban poverty rate reduced by 1.52% in 2015. Urban poverty rate is the percentage of the urban population living below the national urban poverty line.

Over the last decade in Costa Rica, the share of households living in poverty conditions has consistently remained higher in rural areas. As of 2024, it reached its lowest value, with **** percent of the households in these conditions.

1.0 (%) in 2019. Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Costa Rica CR: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data was reported at 0.037 NA in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.043 NA for 2021. Costa Rica CR: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.056 NA from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2022, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.073 NA in 2010 and a record low of 0.037 NA in 2022. Costa Rica CR: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Costa Rica – Table CR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

Costa Rica CR: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 16.100 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.600 % for 2019. Costa Rica CR: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 22.650 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2020, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.200 % in 1981 and a record low of 9.900 % in 2017. Costa Rica CR: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Costa Rica – Table CR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from around 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Costa Rica: Poverty ratio, percent living on less than 5.50 USD a day: The latest value from 2023 is 12.7 percent, a decline from 14.1 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 29.25 percent, based on data from 4 countries. Historically, the average for Costa Rica from 1981 to 2023 is 28.54 percent. The minimum value, 12.7 percent, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 71.1 percent was recorded in 1981.

Costa Rica CR: Poverty Gap at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data was reported at 2.000 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.000 % for 2019. Costa Rica CR: Poverty Gap at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 3.950 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2020, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20.500 % in 1981 and a record low of 1.000 % in 2019. Costa Rica CR: Poverty Gap at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Costa Rica – Table CR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty gap at $3.20 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $3.20 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from around 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Poverty gap at $5.5 a day of Costa Rica slumped by 13.16% from 3.8 % in 2018 to 3.3 % in 2019. Since the 4.55% improve in 2011, poverty gap at $5.5 a day sank by 28.26% in 2019. Poverty gap at $5.50 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $5.50 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.

1.30 (%) in 2024. Population below $1.9 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.9 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Poverty gap at $3.2 a day of Costa Rica sank by 23.08% from 1.3 % in 2018 to 1.0 % in 2019. Since the 7.14% jump in 2015, poverty gap at $3.2 a day plummeted by 33.33% in 2019. Poverty gap at $3.20 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $3.20 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.

Throughout the time period shown in Costa Rica, the share of the households living in extreme poverty conditions has decreased, reaching the lowest value during the pandemic in 2024, at *** percent.

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.

Among the OECD countries, Costa Rica had the highest share of children living in poverty, reaching 28.5 percent in 2022. Türkiye followed with a share of 22 percent of children living in poverty, while 20.5 percent of children in Spain, Chile, and the United States did the same. On the other hand, only three percent of children in Finland were living in poverty.

The index provides the only comprehensive measure available for non-income poverty, which has become a critical underpinning of the SDGs. Critically the MPI comprises variables that are already reported under the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) and Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) The resources subnational multidimensional poverty data from the data tables published by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford. The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures multidimensional poverty in over 100 developing countries, using internationally comparable datasets and is updated annually. The measure captures the severe deprivations that each person faces at the same time using information from 10 indicators, which are grouped into three equally weighted dimensions: health, education, and living standards. The global MPI methodology is detailed in Alkire, Kanagaratnam & Suppa (2023)

Costa Rica Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data was reported at 0.900 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.000 % for 2022. Costa Rica Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data is updated yearly, averaging 1.750 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2023, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.300 % in 2020 and a record low of 0.900 % in 2023. Costa Rica Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Costa Rica – Table CR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (World Bank) is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Multidimensional Poverty Measure. The Multidimensional Poverty Measure includes three dimensions – monetary poverty, education, and basic infrastructure services – to capture a more complete picture of poverty.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Dataset

This dataset was created by Sneha L

Contents

Costa Rica CR: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Household: % of total households data was reported at 16.604 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 19.123 % for 2018. Costa Rica CR: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Household: % of total households data is updated yearly, averaging 21.256 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2019, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25.875 % in 2010 and a record low of 16.604 % in 2019. Costa Rica CR: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Household: % of total households data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Costa Rica – Table CR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;