Human Development Index in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Human Development Index was 0.833 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in Costa Rica, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, human development index in Costa Rica stood at 0.833. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Costa Rica peaked at 0.833 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.677, in 1990.
That places Costa Rica 62nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.7003 | 0.677 | 0.717 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7458 | 0.72 | 0.773 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7996 | 0.776 | 0.821 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.823 | 0.817 | 0.833 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0176 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 1.33 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.33 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.33 live births per woman (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 0.6167 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 67.58 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 74.55 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 1.01 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate 1.18 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 85.98 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in Costa Rica?
- Human development index in Costa Rica was 0.833 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.833 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.677 in 1990.
- How does Costa Rica rank for human development index?
- Costa Rica ranks 62nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.