Share of population living in rural areas in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share of population living in rural areas was 26.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Costa Rica, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Costa Rica stood at 26.3%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Costa Rica peaked at 58.8% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 26.3%, in 2020.
Costa Rica ranks 117th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 58.8% | — |
| 1955 | 55.0% | -6.5% |
| 1960 | 50.8% | -7.7% |
| 1965 | 46.6% | -8.3% |
| 1970 | 43.1% | -7.5% |
| 1975 | 40.1% | -6.8% |
| 1980 | 37.9% | -5.7% |
| 1985 | 35.7% | -5.7% |
| 1990 | 32.9% | -7.9% |
| 1995 | 30.3% | -7.7% |
| 2000 | 28.1% | -7.3% |
| 2005 | 27.3% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 26.8% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 26.6% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 26.3% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 56.9% | 55.0% | 58.8% | 2 |
| 1960s | 48.7% | 46.6% | 50.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 41.6% | 40.1% | 43.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 36.8% | 35.7% | 37.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 31.6% | 30.3% | 32.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 27.7% | 27.3% | 28.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 26.7% | 26.6% | 26.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 26.3% | 26.3% | 26.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
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 share of population living in rural areas in Costa Rica?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Costa Rica was 26.3% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 58.8% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.3% in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Costa Rica ranks 117th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.