Fertility and wanted fertility in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Fertility and wanted fertility was 1.32 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Fertility and wanted fertility in Costa Rica, 1960–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility and wanted fertility in Costa Rica is 1.32, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 26.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility and wanted fertility in Costa Rica peaked at 6.71 in 1960 and was at its lowest, 1.32, in 2024.
Costa Rica ranks 187th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility and wanted fertility in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.71 | — |
| 1961 | 6.65 | -0.9% |
| 1962 | 6.54 | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 6.39 | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 6.19 | -3.1% |
| 1965 | 5.96 | -3.8% |
| 1966 | 5.7 | -4.4% |
| 1967 | 5.42 | -4.9% |
| 1968 | 5.03 | -7.2% |
| 1969 | 4.83 | -3.8% |
| 1970 | 4.58 | -5.2% |
| 1971 | 4.36 | -4.9% |
| 1972 | 4.16 | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 3.99 | -4.0% |
| 1974 | 3.89 | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 3.8 | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 3.75 | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 3.7 | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 3.66 | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 3.65 | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 3.58 | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 3.56 | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 3.54 | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 3.52 | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 3.52 | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 3.51 | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 3.45 | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 3.38 | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 3.31 | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 3.24 | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 3.17 | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 3.08 | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 3 | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 2.93 | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 2.86 | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 2.78 | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 2.68 | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 2.59 | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 2.53 | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 2.48 | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 2.41 | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 2.31 | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 2.16 | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 2.08 | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 2.03 | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 2.04 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 1.94 | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 1.95 | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 1.98 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 1.95 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 1.83 | -6.5% |
| 2011 | 1.88 | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 1.85 | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 1.78 | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 1.8 | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 1.8 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.75 | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 1.71 | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.71 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 1.6 | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 1.45 | -9.5% |
| 2021 | 1.35 | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 1.33 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.33 | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 1.32 | -0.9% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 1.32 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.45, 91% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 1.32 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.62, 81% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.94 | 4.83 | 6.71 | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.96 | 3.65 | 4.58 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.46 | 3.24 | 3.58 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.81 | 2.48 | 3.17 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.09 | 1.94 | 2.41 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.77 | 1.6 | 1.88 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.36 | 1.32 | 1.45 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More population data for Costa Rica
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.2884 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6681 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,703 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5224 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7399 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1 (2100)
- Population density 73.96 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 123,827 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility and wanted fertility in Costa Rica?
- Fertility and wanted fertility in Costa Rica was 1.32 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 6.71 in 1960.
- What is the lowest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.32 in 2024.
- How does Costa Rica rank for fertility and wanted fertility?
- Costa Rica ranks 187th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility and wanted fertility rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility and wanted fertility. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).