Costa Rica vs Panama: Total population
Costa Rica
5,142 thousands
in 2025
Panama
4,544 thousands
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
124th
Panama rank
126th
Total population over time
- Costa Rica
- Panama
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 5,142 thousands against 4,544 thousands in Panama, a difference of 598 thousands.
That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.1 times Panama's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 124th and Panama ranks 126th of 230 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Panama | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,046 thousands | 1,689 thousands | 357.03 thousands | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 2,674 thousands | 2,153 thousands | 520.72 thousands | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 3,452 thousands | 2,672 thousands | 779.66 thousands | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 4,195 thousands | 3,253 thousands | 941.68 thousands | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 4,762 thousands | 3,895 thousands | 867 thousands | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 5,082 thousands | 4,403 thousands | 678.8 thousands | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Costa Rica or Panama?
- Costa Rica, at 5,142 thousands against 4,544 thousands in Panama as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Costa Rica and Panama?
- 598 thousands, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Panama?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Panama rank globally for total population?
- Costa Rica ranks 124th and Panama ranks 126th of 230 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