Total population (thousands) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Total population (thousands) was 5,142 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
5,142 thousands
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
126th
of 233 countries
All-time high
5,142 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
1,814 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in Costa Rica, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total population in Costa Rica is 5,142 thousands, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Costa Rica peaked at 5,142 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,814 thousands, in 1970.
That places Costa Rica 126th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,814 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 1,864 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 1,913 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 1,963 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 2,014 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 2,066 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 2,120 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 2,176 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 2,234 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 2,295 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 2,358 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 2,423 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 2,490 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 2,559 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 2,631 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 2,704 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 2,779 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 2,855 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 2,930 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 3,006 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 3,082 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 3,162 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 3,243 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 3,326 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 3,409 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 3,493 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 3,577 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 3,661 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 3,743 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 3,823 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 3,901 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 3,974 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 4,044 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 4,108 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 4,170 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 4,230 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 4,292 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 4,351 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 4,410 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 4,470 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 4,529 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 4,583 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 4,637 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 4,691 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 4,742 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 4,793 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 4,843 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 4,891 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 4,936 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 4,980 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 5,019 thousands | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 5,049 thousands | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 5,071 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 5,093 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 5,118 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 5,142 thousands | +0.5% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 5,142 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 3,084 thousands, 1.7× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 5,142 thousands is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3,039 thousands, 1.7× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,046 thousands | 1,814 thousands | 2,295 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,674 thousands | 2,358 thousands | 3,006 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,452 thousands | 3,082 thousands | 3,823 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,195 thousands | 3,901 thousands | 4,470 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,762 thousands | 4,529 thousands | 4,980 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,082 thousands | 5,019 thousands | 5,142 thousands | 6 |
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 total population in Costa Rica?
- Total population in Costa Rica was 5,142 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 5,142 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,814 thousands in 1970.
- How does Costa Rica rank for total population?
- Costa Rica ranks 126th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release