Net migration metrics in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Net migration metrics was 995 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
995
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
77th
of 236 countries
All-time high
17,393
in 1996
All-time low
390
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Net migration metrics in Costa Rica, 1950–2023

05.0k10.0k15.0k195019862023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for net migration metrics in Costa Rica is 995, measured in 2023.

The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 37.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net migration metrics in Costa Rica peaked at 17,393 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 390, in 1950.

That places Costa Rica 77th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Net migration metrics in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Net migration metrics in Costa Rica, 1950 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1950 390 —
1951 465 +19.2%
1952 538 +15.7%
1953 600 +11.5%
1954 678 +13.0%
1955 734 +8.3%
1956 787 +7.2%
1957 823 +4.6%
1958 851 +3.4%
1959 878 +3.2%
1960 910 +3.6%
1961 924 +1.5%
1962 934 +1.1%
1963 938 +0.4%
1964 934 -0.4%
1965 932 -0.2%
1966 930 -0.2%
1967 926 -0.4%
1968 939 +1.4%
1969 1,017 +8.3%
1970 1,137 +11.8%
1971 1,296 +14.0%
1972 1,366 +5.4%
1973 1,468 +7.5%
1974 1,839 +25.3%
1975 1,992 +8.3%
1976 2,129 +6.9%
1977 2,228 +4.7%
1978 2,296 +3.1%
1979 2,349 +2.3%
1980 2,387 +1.6%
1981 2,431 +1.8%
1982 2,453 +0.9%
1983 2,449 -0.2%
1984 2,402 -1.9%
1985 2,357 -1.9%
1986 2,302 -2.3%
1987 2,267 -1.5%
1988 2,414 +6.5%
1989 3,758 +55.7%
1990 7,949 +111.5%
1991 10,757 +35.3%
1992 13,069 +21.5%
1993 14,431 +10.4%
1994 15,587 +8.0%
1995 16,609 +6.6%
1996 17,393 +4.7%
1997 16,954 -2.5%
1998 15,556 -8.2%
1999 13,253 -14.8%
2000 8,826 -33.4%
2001 7,119 -19.3%
2002 5,812 -18.4%
2003 5,216 -10.3%
2004 4,856 -6.9%
2005 4,567 -6.0%
2006 4,321 -5.4%
2007 4,080 -5.6%
2008 3,794 -7.0%
2009 3,432 -9.5%
2010 2,357 -31.3%
2011 1,695 -28.1%
2012 1,587 -6.4%
2013 1,579 -0.5%
2014 1,589 +0.6%
2015 1,617 +1.8%
2016 1,649 +2.0%
2017 1,671 +1.3%
2018 1,673 +0.1%
2019 1,653 -1.2%
2020 1,029 -37.7%
2021 1,018 -1.1%
2022 1,006 -1.2%
2023 995 -1.1%

Costa Rica compared with similar countries

  • Costa Rica's 995 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5,173, 19% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • Costa Rica's 995 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is -194.5. (42 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Net migration metrics in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1990 +111.5% 3,758 7,949
1989 +55.7% 2,414 3,758

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 674.4 390 878 10
1960s 938.4 910 1,017 10
1970s 1,810 1,137 2,349 10
1980s 2,522 2,267 3,758 10
1990s 14,156 7,949 17,393 10
2000s 5,202 3,432 8,826 10
2010s 1,707 1,579 2,357 10
2020s 1,012 995 1,029 4

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 74 Solomon Islands 1,636 compare
  2. 75 Andorra 1,061 compare
  3. 76 Bahamas 1,001 compare
  4. 77 Niger 995 compare
  5. 79 Gabon 987 compare
  6. 80 Cayman Islands 921 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is net migration metrics in Costa Rica?
Net migration metrics in Costa Rica was 995 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest net migration metrics recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 17,393 in 1996.
What is the lowest net migration metrics recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 390 in 1950.
How does Costa Rica rank for net migration metrics?
Costa Rica ranks 77th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is net migration metrics rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 37.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Net migration metrics. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Net migration metrics in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/net-migration-metrics/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Net migration metrics
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed