Share of population living in cities in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share of population living in cities was 47.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities 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 cities in Costa Rica stood at 47.5%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities in Costa Rica peaked at 47.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 19.9%, in 1950.
Costa Rica ranks 67th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 19.9% | — |
| 1955 | 21.2% | +6.3% |
| 1960 | 22.2% | +4.7% |
| 1965 | 26.6% | +20.0% |
| 1970 | 28.3% | +6.4% |
| 1975 | 30.5% | +7.8% |
| 1980 | 31.5% | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 34.5% | +9.6% |
| 1990 | 39.6% | +14.6% |
| 1995 | 41.8% | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 45.1% | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 44.5% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 46.1% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 46.1% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 47.5% | +2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 20.6% | 19.9% | 21.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 24.4% | 22.2% | 26.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 29.4% | 28.3% | 30.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 33.0% | 31.5% | 34.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 40.7% | 39.6% | 41.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 44.8% | 44.5% | 45.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 46.1% | 46.1% | 46.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 47.5% | 47.5% | 47.5% | 1 |
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 share of population living in cities in Costa Rica?
- Share of population living in cities in Costa Rica was 47.5% 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 cities recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 47.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.9% in 1950.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share of population living in cities?
- Costa Rica ranks 67th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.