Costa Rica vs New Zealand: Total population
Costa Rica
5,142 thousands
in 2025
New Zealand
5,234 thousands
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
126th
New Zealand rank
125th
Total population over time
- Costa Rica
- New Zealand
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 5,234 thousands against 5,142 thousands in Costa Rica, a difference of 92 thousands.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was New Zealand ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 126th and New Zealand ranks 125th of 226 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 2 and New Zealand in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,046 thousands | 3,010 thousands | 964.48 thousands | New Zealand |
| 1980s | 2,674 thousands | 3,236 thousands | 562.09 thousands | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 3,452 thousands | 3,618 thousands | 166.41 thousands | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 4,195 thousands | 4,067 thousands | 127.71 thousands | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 4,762 thousands | 4,580 thousands | 182.76 thousands | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 5,082 thousands | 5,139 thousands | 56.52 thousands | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Costa Rica or New Zealand?
- New Zealand, at 5,234 thousands against 5,142 thousands in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Costa Rica and New Zealand?
- 92 thousands, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and New Zealand?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and New Zealand rank globally for total population?
- Costa Rica ranks 126th and New Zealand ranks 125th of 226 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release