Costa Rica vs Switzerland: Liberal democracy index
Costa Rica
0.809
in 2025
Switzerland
0.843
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
7th
Switzerland rank
4th
Liberal democracy index over time
- Costa Rica
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 0.843 against 0.809 in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.034.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 188 shared years of data; in 1838 it was Switzerland ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 7th and Switzerland ranks 4th of 176 countries.
Across the 20 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 4 and Switzerland in 16.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 0.157 | 0.188 | 0.031 | Switzerland |
| 1840s | 0.1726 | 0.229 | 0.0564 | Switzerland |
| 1850s | 0.1694 | 0.4657 | 0.2963 | Switzerland |
| 1860s | 0.1698 | 0.4655 | 0.2957 | Switzerland |
| 1870s | 0.1756 | 0.5012 | 0.3256 | Switzerland |
| 1880s | 0.2054 | 0.5279 | 0.3225 | Switzerland |
| 1890s | 0.2134 | 0.5279 | 0.3145 | Switzerland |
| 1900s | 0.2055 | 0.54 | 0.3345 | Switzerland |
| 1910s | 0.1923 | 0.543 | 0.3507 | Switzerland |
| 1920s | 0.2397 | 0.5495 | 0.3098 | Switzerland |
| 1930s | 0.2464 | 0.5508 | 0.3044 | Switzerland |
| 1940s | 0.2392 | 0.5509 | 0.3117 | Switzerland |
| 1950s | 0.5813 | 0.5613 | 0.02 | Costa Rica |
| 1960s | 0.6361 | 0.5669 | 0.0692 | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 0.6878 | 0.7518 | 0.064 | Switzerland |
| 1980s | 0.7878 | 0.8134 | 0.0256 | Switzerland |
| 1990s | 0.84 | 0.8349 | 0.0051 | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 0.8463 | 0.8415 | 0.0048 | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 0.8509 | 0.8581 | 0.0072 | Switzerland |
| 2020s | 0.8212 | 0.8465 | 0.0253 | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher liberal democracy index, Costa Rica or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 0.843 against 0.809 in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in liberal democracy index between Costa Rica and Switzerland?
- 0.034, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Switzerland?
- 188 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Switzerland rank globally for liberal democracy index?
- Costa Rica ranks 7th and Switzerland ranks 4th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Liberal democracy index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.