What share of mothers are single in Puntarenas?

37.4% of babies born in 2024 to mothers resident in Puntarenas had a single (unmarried, not in a union) mother, the lowest of 7 (national 47.1%).

Health in Puntarenas, Costa Rica: official figures

Mothers living in Puntarenas gave birth to 5,098 babies in 2024, a birth rate of 10.2 per 1,000 residents, 2nd highest of 7 (national 8.9). The 2023 figure in INEC's anuario was 5,571 births.

Infant mortality per 1,000 births

10.6

2024

What is the death rate in Puntarenas?

2,942 residents of Puntarenas died in 2024, a crude death rate of 5.9 per 1,000 residents, 4th highest of 7 (national 5.8).

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

What is the infant mortality rate in Puntarenas?

54 infants under one year died in 2024 among mothers resident in Puntarenas, an infant mortality rate of 10.6 per 1,000 births (4th highest of 7); the national rate was 10.2 and the 2023 provincial rate in INEC's anuario was 11.7.

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

How many fetal deaths are there in Puntarenas?

INEC recorded 33 fetal deaths to mothers resident in Puntarenas in 2024, 6.5 per 1,000 births, 3rd highest of 7 (national 6.2).

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

How common are teenage births in Puntarenas?

11.5% of the babies born to mothers living in Puntarenas in 2024 had a mother under 20 (586 of 5,098 births), 2nd highest of 7; nationally the share was 8.8%.

Source: INEC Costa Rica · saved copy

Who attends births in Puntarenas?

17.7% of births to mothers resident in Puntarenas in 2024 were attended by a gynaecologist-obstetrician, 3rd lowest 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 Puntarenas compares with other provinces

Birth rate (2024)

Puntarenas ranks 2 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)

Puntarenas ranks 4 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)

Puntarenas ranks 4 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)

Puntarenas ranks 3 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)

Puntarenas ranks 2 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)

Puntarenas ranks 5 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 Puntarenas: 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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