Costa Rica vs United States: Universal right to vote in practice
Costa Rica
2
in 2025
United States
2
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
1st
United States rank
1st
Universal right to vote in practice over time
- Costa Rica
- United States
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 2 against 2 in United States, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 188 shared years of data; in 1838 it was United States ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 1st and United States ranks 1st of 197 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 20 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1840s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1850s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1860s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1940s | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | Costa Rica |
| 1950s | 2 | 0 | 2 | Costa Rica |
| 1960s | 2 | 1 | 1 | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1980s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1990s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2020s | 2 | 2 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher universal right to vote in practice, Costa Rica or United States?
- Costa Rica, at 2 against 2 in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in universal right to vote in practice between Costa Rica and United States?
- 0, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and United States?
- 188 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and United States rank globally for universal right to vote in practice?
- Costa Rica ranks 1st and United States ranks 1st of 197 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Universal right to vote in practice. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.