What share of mothers are single in Guanacaste?

52.2% of babies born in 2024 to mothers resident in Guanacaste had a single (unmarried, not in a union) mother, 3rd highest of 7 (national 47.1%).

Health in Guanacaste, Costa Rica: official figures

Mothers living in Guanacaste gave birth to 4,135 babies in 2024, a birth rate of 10.1 per 1,000 residents, 3rd highest of 7 (national 8.9). The 2023 figure in INEC's anuario was 4,472 births.

Infant mortality per 1,000 births

11.9

2024

What is the death rate in Guanacaste?

2,631 residents of Guanacaste died in 2024, a crude death rate of 6.4 per 1,000 residents, the highest of 7 (national 5.8).

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

What is the infant mortality rate in Guanacaste?

49 infants under one year died in 2024 among mothers resident in Guanacaste, an infant mortality rate of 11.9 per 1,000 births (the highest of 7); the national rate was 10.2 and the 2023 provincial rate in INEC's anuario was 7.2.

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

How many fetal deaths are there in Guanacaste?

INEC recorded 20 fetal deaths to mothers resident in Guanacaste in 2024, 4.8 per 1,000 births, the lowest of 7 (national 6.2).

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

How common are teenage births in Guanacaste?

9.7% of the babies born to mothers living in Guanacaste in 2024 had a mother under 20 (403 of 4,135 births), 3rd highest of 7; nationally the share was 8.8%.

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

Who attends births in Guanacaste?

19.6% of births to mothers resident in Guanacaste in 2024 were attended by a gynaecologist-obstetrician, 4th highest of 7; the national share was 24.0%. Most other births were attended by a physician or nurse.

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

How Guanacaste compares with other provinces

Birth rate (2024)

Guanacaste ranks 3 of 7, highest first. Births per 1,000 residents

Rank	Region	Birth rate
1	Limon	10.8
2	Puntarenas	10.2
3	Guanacaste	10.1
4	Alajuela	9.5
5	Cartago	8.7
6	San Jose	7.7
7	Heredia	7.6

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

Death rate (2024)

Guanacaste ranks 1 of 7, highest first. Deaths per 1,000 residents

Rank	Region	Death rate
1	Guanacaste	6.4
2	San Jose	6.2
3	Cartago	5.9
4	Puntarenas	5.9
5	Alajuela	5.5
6	Heredia	5.4
7	Limon	5.3

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

Infant mortality (2024)

Guanacaste ranks 1 of 7, highest first. Deaths under one year per 1,000 births

Rank	Region	Infant mortality
1	Guanacaste	11.9
2	San Jose	10.9
3	Cartago	10.7
4	Puntarenas	10.6
5	Limon	10.4
6	Alajuela	8.9
7	Heredia	8.5

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

Fetal deaths (2024)

Guanacaste ranks 7 of 7, highest first. Fetal deaths per 1,000 births

Rank	Region	Fetal deaths
1	Limon	7.3
2	Heredia	6.8
3	Puntarenas	6.5
4	San Jose	6.2
5	Alajuela	6.0
6	Cartago	5.8
7	Guanacaste	4.8

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

Births to mothers under 20 (2024)

Guanacaste ranks 3 of 7, highest first. Share of births

Rank	Region	Births to mothers under 20
1	Limon	11.6%
2	Puntarenas	11.5%
3	Guanacaste	9.7%
4	Cartago	9.1%
5	Alajuela	8.7%
6	San Jose	7.2%
7	Heredia	6.6%

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

Births attended by a gynaecologist-obstetrician (2024)

Guanacaste ranks 4 of 7, highest first. Share of births

Rank	Region	Births attended by a gynaecologist-obstetrician
1	Heredia	58.9%
2	San Jose	24.9%
3	Alajuela	24.4%
4	Guanacaste	19.6%
5	Puntarenas	17.7%
6	Cartago	15.7%
7	Limon	9.5%

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

More on Guanacaste: overview · economy and jobs · poverty and living standards · Costa Rica

Sources

INEC Costa Rica: Estadisticas vitales 2024: population, births, deaths and marriages (tables 3.1 to 3.64, by province), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1577bf56feca…)

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