Costa Rica: Incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Costa Rica's incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people) fell 0.2 on 2023 (from 9.5 to 9.3).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −0.67 and a typical year strayed about 2.3 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5 in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 7 in 2005. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.15 a year. A straight line explains 36% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Costa Rica had the 153rd highest value of the 208 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Costa Rica in the 2024 ranking

• Kuwait — 150th of 208: 10
• Japan — 151st of 208: 9.8
• United Kingdom — 152nd of 208: 9.7
• Serbia — 154th of 208: 8.7
• Turks and Caicos Islands — 155th of 208: 8.6
• Saudi Arabia — 156th of 208: 8.4

What this measures

Incidence of tuberculosis is the estimated number of new and relapse tuberculosis cases arising in a given year, expressed as the rate per 100,000 population. All forms of TB are included, including cases in people living with HIV. Estimates for all years are recalculated as new information becomes available and techniques are refined, so they may differ from those published previously.

Limitations: The limited availability of data on health status is a major constraint in assessing the health situation in developing countries. Surveillance data are lacking for many major public health concerns. Estimates of prevalence and incidence are available for some diseases but are often unreliable and incomplete. National health authorities differ widely in capacity and willingness to collect or report information. To compensate for this and improve reliability and international comparability, the World Health Organization (WHO) prepares estimates in accordance with epidemiological models and statistical standards. Uncertainty bounds for the incidence are available at http://data.worldbank.org

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 25 values

Incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 1.1 (2024)
• Argentina — 44 (2024)
• Aruba — 8.3 (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 18 (2024)
• Barbados — 1 (2024)
• Belize — 34 (2024)
• Bolivia — 114 (2024)
• Brazil — 49 (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 0 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 4.9 (2024)

More health data for Costa Rica

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 4.9% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 5.24% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 461,672 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 17.71% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 481,760 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 18.92% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 943,432 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 18.31% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 6.18% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Costa Rica's incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people)?

9.3 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is down 62.8% from 25 in 2000 (4.04% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 26 in 2001 and the lowest 9.3 in 2024.

How does Costa Rica rank?

153rd highest of 208 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people) unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2024, Costa Rica's incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people) fell 0.2 on 2023 (from 9.5 to 9.3). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −0.67 and a typical year strayed about 2.3 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.TBS.INCD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Global Tuberculosis Report, World Health Organization (WHO) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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