Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 79.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
79.7%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
71st
of 236 countries
All-time high
79.7%
in 2025
All-time low
33.5%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Costa Rica, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Costa Rica is 79.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Costa Rica peaked at 79.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 33.5%, in 1950.
Costa Rica ranks 71st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 33.5% | — |
| 1951 | 33.5% | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 33.5% | +0.1% |
| 1953 | 33.6% | +0.1% |
| 1954 | 33.6% | +0.1% |
| 1955 | 33.7% | +0.2% |
| 1956 | 33.7% | +0.2% |
| 1957 | 33.8% | +0.2% |
| 1958 | 33.9% | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 34.0% | +0.3% |
| 1960 | 34.1% | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 34.2% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 34.3% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 34.5% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 34.8% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 35.2% | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 35.8% | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 36.5% | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 37.3% | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 38.0% | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 38.8% | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 39.5% | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 40.2% | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 41.1% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 41.4% | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 41.7% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 42.0% | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 42.3% | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 42.6% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 42.9% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 43.2% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 43.5% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 43.9% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 44.4% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 44.9% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 45.5% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 46.1% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 46.9% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 47.7% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 48.6% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 49.5% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 50.5% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 51.5% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 52.5% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 53.6% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 54.7% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 55.8% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 56.9% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 58.0% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 59.0% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 60.1% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 61.3% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 62.5% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 63.7% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 64.9% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 66.2% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 67.5% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 68.8% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 70.1% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 71.5% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 72.8% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 73.4% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 73.9% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 74.5% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 75.0% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 75.5% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 76.1% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 76.6% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 77.0% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 77.5% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 78.0% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 78.4% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 78.9% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 79.3% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 79.7% | +0.5% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 79.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 98% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 79.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 72.0%, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 33.7% | 33.5% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 35.5% | 34.1% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 41.0% | 38.8% | 42.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 44.9% | 42.9% | 47.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.1% | 48.6% | 58.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.4% | 59.0% | 70.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.6% | 71.5% | 77.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.6% | 77.5% | 79.7% | 6 |
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 urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Costa Rica?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Costa Rica was 79.7% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 79.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.5% in 1950.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Costa Rica ranks 71st out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.