PopulationTracker

Costa Rica population

Current population of Costa Rica

5,178,441

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
29
Deaths today
16
Change today (UTC)
+13
World rank
127th of 218
0.06% of world population
Population
5,152,950
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+0.45%
2025
Density
100 /km²
2023
Land area
51,060 km²
Urban population
80%
2025
Median age
35.2 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
1.32
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
81.0 yrs
2024
Net migration
+1,000
2025
Capital
San Jose
Region
Latin America & Caribbean

Population of Costa Rica: overview

Costa Rica has a population of 5,152,950 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 127th largest in the world. Costa Rica is part of the Latin America & Caribbean region and its capital is San Jose.

Growth has slowed to 0.45% per year. In absolute terms that meant roughly 23,040 additional people over the past year.

Population density is moderate — about 100 people per km², spread across 51,060 km² of land. Most residents — 80% — live in urban areas.

The median age is 35.2 years. At 1.32 children per woman, fertility is among the lowest recorded anywhere. Life expectancy at birth is 81.0 years (2024).

UN projections suggest a roughly stable population through mid-century, at 5.35 million in 2050. The 2030 projection is 5,251,496.

Costa Rica population, 1960–2025 and projections

01.5M3M4.5M6M19601980200020202040projected2025: 5.15M1960: 1,327,4961961: 1,377,9201962: 1,429,4451963: 1,481,6041964: 1,533,9601965: 1,586,2081966: 1,638,1161967: 1,689,5231968: 1,739,7311969: 1,789,2761970: 1,838,9491971: 1,888,5391972: 1,938,2481973: 1,988,3431974: 2,039,6431975: 2,092,7191976: 2,147,7741977: 2,205,0251978: 2,264,5101979: 2,326,4901980: 2,390,6331981: 2,456,6371982: 2,524,8061983: 2,595,1531984: 2,667,5951985: 2,741,8941986: 2,817,2161987: 2,892,6991988: 2,968,1031989: 3,043,8271990: 3,121,7061991: 3,202,1761992: 3,284,2581993: 3,367,4341994: 3,451,1221995: 3,535,1761996: 3,619,0131997: 3,701,7111998: 3,782,8381999: 3,862,1012000: 3,937,7392001: 4,008,9472002: 4,075,7052003: 4,138,7842004: 4,200,0782005: 4,261,2402006: 4,321,3402007: 4,380,2482008: 4,440,0562009: 4,499,7912010: 4,555,9622011: 4,609,8332012: 4,663,9342013: 4,716,1472014: 4,767,1192015: 4,818,0382016: 4,866,9982017: 4,913,1772018: 4,957,8182019: 4,999,5532020: 5,034,3202021: 5,059,9882022: 5,081,7652023: 5,105,5252024: 5,129,9102025: 5,152,9502030: 5,251,4962050: 5,354,150
Population of Costa Rica by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
20255,152,950+0.45%+23,040
20245,129,910+0.48%+24,385
20235,105,525+0.47%+23,760
20225,081,765+0.43%+21,777
20215,059,988+0.51%+25,668
20205,034,320+0.69%+34,767
20194,999,553+0.84%+41,735
20184,957,818+0.90%+44,641
20174,913,177+0.94%+46,179
20164,866,998+1.01%+48,960
20154,818,038+1.06%+50,919
20144,767,119+1.08%+50,972
20104,555,962+1.24%+56,171
20054,261,240+1.45%+61,162
20003,937,739+1.94%+75,638
19953,535,176+2.41%+84,054
19903,121,706+2.53%+77,879
19852,741,894+2.75%+74,299
19802,390,633+2.72%+64,143
19752,092,719+2.57%+53,076
19701,838,949+2.74%+49,673
19651,586,208+3.35%+52,248
19601,327,496––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Costa Rica population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Costa Rica
YearProjected populationvs today
20305,251,496+1.9%
20505,354,150+3.9%

Costa Rica population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 18.3% of Costa Rica's population is under 15, 68.9% is of working age (15–64), and 12.8% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%0-4 male: 133,495 (2.6%)0-4 female: 127,879 (2.5%)0-45-9 male: 168,132 (3.3%)5-9 female: 161,256 (3.1%)10-14 male: 180,132 (3.5%)10-14 female: 172,537 (3.3%)10-1415-19 male: 184,469 (3.6%)15-19 female: 176,845 (3.4%)20-24 male: 188,625 (3.7%)20-24 female: 181,284 (3.5%)20-2425-29 male: 201,981 (3.9%)25-29 female: 195,606 (3.8%)30-34 male: 206,988 (4.0%)30-34 female: 201,696 (3.9%)30-3435-39 male: 209,264 (4.1%)35-39 female: 205,836 (4.0%)40-44 male: 192,975 (3.7%)40-44 female: 194,327 (3.8%)40-4445-49 male: 166,486 (3.2%)45-49 female: 174,121 (3.4%)50-54 male: 145,180 (2.8%)50-54 female: 157,173 (3.1%)50-5455-59 male: 139,254 (2.7%)55-59 female: 152,694 (3.0%)60-64 male: 132,117 (2.6%)60-64 female: 145,495 (2.8%)60-6465-69 male: 106,638 (2.1%)65-69 female: 119,998 (2.3%)70-74 male: 78,524 (1.5%)70-74 female: 90,842 (1.8%)70-7475-79 male: 55,185 (1.1%)75-79 female: 65,935 (1.3%)80-84 male: 32,831 (0.6%)80-84 female: 42,723 (0.8%)80-8485-89 male: 16,346 (0.3%)85-89 female: 25,090 (0.5%)90-94 male: 5,700 (0.1%)90-94 female: 11,653 (0.2%)90-9495-99 male: 1,214 (0.0%)95-99 female: 3,634 (0.1%)100+ male: 132 (0.0%)100+ female: 658 (0.0%)100+

Costa Rica population FAQ

What is the population of Costa Rica in 2026?

Costa Rica's population is estimated at about 5.18 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 5,152,950 (2025). Costa Rica ranks 127th in the world by population.

Is the population of Costa Rica growing or shrinking?

Costa Rica's population is growing at about 0.45% per year, an increase of roughly 23,040 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Costa Rica?

Costa Rica has about 100 people per square kilometre across a land area of 51,060 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is home to about 0.06% of the world's population.

What is Costa Rica's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Costa Rica's population at 5,354,150 in 2050, passing through 5,251,496 in 2030.

What is the median age in Costa Rica?

The median age in Costa Rica is 35.2 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.