Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Share of adults who smoke or use other tobacco
Costa Rica
7.9%
in 2024
El Salvador
8.2%
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
150th
El Salvador rank
146th
Share of adults who smoke or use other tobacco over time
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
How they compare
El Salvador currently reports 8.2% against 7.9% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 9 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Costa Rica ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 150th and El Salvador ranks 146th of 167 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 2 and El Salvador in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.2% | 13.8% | 1.4% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 11.4% | 11.0% | 0.4% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 8.4% | 8.6% | 0.2% | El Salvador |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of adults who smoke or use other tobacco, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
- El Salvador, at 8.2% against 7.9% in Costa Rica as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of adults who smoke or use other tobacco between Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 0.3%, with El Salvador ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and El Salvador rank globally for share of adults who smoke or use other tobacco?
- Costa Rica ranks 150th and El Salvador ranks 146th of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of adults who smoke or use other tobacco. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
Estimated percentage of adults (15 years and older) who currently use tobacco. This includes all forms of tobacco use, such as smoking, chewing or snuffing, but excludes products that do not contain tobacco, such as e-cigarettes.