Which has higher political civil liberties index, Costa Rica or Iceland?

Costa Rica, at 0.931 against 0.93 in Iceland as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Iceland?

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Political Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Costa Rica vs Iceland: Political Civil Liberties Index

Costa Rica

0.931

in 2025

Iceland

0.93

in 2025

Costa Rica rank

17th

Iceland rank

18th

Political Civil Liberties Index over time

Costa Rica
Iceland

How they compare

Costa Rica currently reports 0.931 against 0.93 in Iceland, a difference of 0.001.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Iceland ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 17th and Iceland ranks 18th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 6 and Iceland in 7.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Costa Rica	Iceland	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.727	0.909	0.182	Iceland
1910s	0.6973	0.909	0.2117	Iceland
1920s	0.7357	0.904	0.1683	Iceland
1930s	0.7179	0.904	0.1861	Iceland
1940s	0.6835	0.893	0.2095	Iceland
1950s	0.8667	0.905	0.0383	Iceland
1960s	0.884	0.9058	0.0218	Iceland
1970s	0.9158	0.912	0.0038	Costa Rica
1980s	0.9718	0.9331	0.0387	Costa Rica
1990s	0.978	0.9512	0.0268	Costa Rica
2000s	0.9774	0.9554	0.022	Costa Rica
2010s	0.9715	0.949	0.0225	Costa Rica
2020s	0.9422	0.9358	0.0063	Costa Rica

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher political civil liberties index, Costa Rica or Iceland?: Costa Rica, at 0.931 against 0.93 in Iceland as of 2025.
What is the difference in political civil liberties index between Costa Rica and Iceland?: 0.001, with Costa Rica ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Iceland?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Costa Rica and Iceland rank globally for political civil liberties index?: Costa Rica ranks 17th and Iceland ranks 18th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Political Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Costa Rica vs Iceland: Political Civil Liberties Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/political-civil-liberties-index/costa-rica/iceland/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/political-civil-liberties-index/costa-rica/iceland/">Costa Rica vs Iceland: Political Civil Liberties Index</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Political Civil Liberties Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 30,211 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which people enjoy the freedoms of expression and association.