Rural population in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Rural population was 16.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
16.8%
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
164th
of 214 countries
All-time high
61.2%
in 1970
All-time low
16.8%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Costa Rica, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 16.8% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and down 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Costa Rica peaked at 61.2% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 2024.
Costa Rica ranks 164th of 214 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 61.2% | — |
| 1971 | 60.6% | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 59.9% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 59.3% | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 59.0% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 58.7% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 58.3% | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 58.0% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 57.6% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 57.3% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 56.9% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 56.5% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 56.2% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 55.8% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 55.5% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 54.6% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 53.6% | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 52.7% | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 51.8% | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 50.9% | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 50.0% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 49.1% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 48.2% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 47.3% | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 46.3% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 45.4% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 44.5% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 43.6% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 42.7% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 41.8% | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 40.9% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 39.6% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 38.2% | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 36.9% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 35.6% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 34.3% | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 33.1% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 31.8% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 30.6% | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 29.4% | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 28.3% | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 27.1% | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 26.1% | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 25.0% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 24.1% | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 23.1% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 22.3% | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 21.4% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 20.7% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 19.9% | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 19.2% | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 18.6% | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 18.0% | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 17.4% | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 16.8% | -3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 59.0% | 57.3% | 61.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 54.5% | 50.9% | 56.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.9% | 41.8% | 50.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.1% | 29.4% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.8% | 19.9% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.0% | 16.8% | 19.2% | 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)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Population density 73.96 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 123,827 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Costa Rica?
- Rural population in Costa Rica was 16.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 61.2% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 2024.
- How does Costa Rica rank for rural population?
- Costa Rica ranks 164th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release