Birth rate in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Birth rate was 10.18 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
10.18 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
167th
of 236 countries
All-time high
46.01 births per 1,000 people
in 1958
All-time low
10.18 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in Costa Rica, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rate in Costa Rica stood at 10.18 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 31.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Costa Rica peaked at 46.01 births per 1,000 people in 1958 and was at its lowest, 10.18 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Costa Rica 167th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 44.89 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 45.3 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1952 | 45.58 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 45.76 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1954 | 45.78 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 45.78 births per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1956 | 45.76 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1957 | 45.93 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1958 | 46.01 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1959 | 45.87 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1960 | 45.47 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1961 | 44.81 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1962 | 43.88 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1963 | 42.73 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1964 | 41.38 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1965 | 39.9 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1966 | 38.33 births per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1967 | 36.76 births per 1,000 people | -4.1% |
| 1968 | 34.62 births per 1,000 people | -5.8% |
| 1969 | 33.77 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 32.59 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1971 | 31.58 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 30.7 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 30.07 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1974 | 29.89 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 29.79 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 29.89 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 30.04 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 30.21 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 30.54 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 30.36 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 30.42 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 30.48 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 30.52 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 30.52 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 30.42 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 29.85 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 29.11 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 28.33 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 27.46 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 26.65 births per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1991 | 25.7 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 24.96 births per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 24.27 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 23.64 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 22.98 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 22.19 births per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 21.48 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 21.04 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 20.74 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 20.24 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 19.41 births per 1,000 people | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 18.19 births per 1,000 people | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 17.57 births per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 17.14 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 17.25 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 16.43 births per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 16.6 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 16.81 births per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 16.52 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 15.41 births per 1,000 people | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 15.76 births per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 15.46 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 14.77 births per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 14.85 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 14.7 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 14.18 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 13.81 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 13.62 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 12.66 births per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 2020 | 11.37 births per 1,000 people | -10.2% |
| 2021 | 10.54 births per 1,000 people | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 10.32 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 10.18 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 10.18 births per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.6 births per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 10.18 births per 1,000 people is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 11.84 births per 1,000 people, 86% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 45.67 births per 1,000 people | 44.89 births per 1,000 people | 46.01 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 40.16 births per 1,000 people | 33.77 births per 1,000 people | 45.47 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 30.53 births per 1,000 people | 29.79 births per 1,000 people | 32.59 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 29.75 births per 1,000 people | 27.46 births per 1,000 people | 30.52 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.36 births per 1,000 people | 20.74 births per 1,000 people | 26.65 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.62 births per 1,000 people | 16.43 births per 1,000 people | 20.24 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.52 births per 1,000 people | 12.66 births per 1,000 people | 15.76 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.6 births per 1,000 people | 10.18 births per 1,000 people | 11.37 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 164 Ireland 10.25 births per 1,000 people compare
- 165 Albania 10.24 births per 1,000 people compare
- 166 Kuwait 10.2 births per 1,000 people compare
- 168 United Kingdom 10.02 births per 1,000 people compare
- 169 Qatar 9.91 births per 1,000 people compare
- 170 Uruguay 9.87 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Costa Rica
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6681 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 123,827 people (2100)
- Population density 73.96 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7399 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5224 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Costa Rica?
- Birth rate in Costa Rica was 10.18 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 46.01 births per 1,000 people in 1958.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.18 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Costa Rica rank for birth rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 167th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.