Costa Rica: Population Demographics

Population, 2021: 5,154,000
Annual Population Growth Rate, 2020-2030 (%): 0.5%
Life Expectancy at Birth, 2021: 77
Share of Urban Population, 2021: 81%
Annual Growth Rate of Urban Population, 2020-2030 (%): 1.1%
Gini Coefficient, 2010-2019: 50
Palma Index of Income Inequality, 2010-2019: 3.1

Note: Gini coefficient – Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.
Palma index of income inequality – Palma index is defined as the ratio of the richest 10% of the population’s share of gross national income divided by the poorest 40%’s share.

Source: United Nations Children’s Fund, The State of the World’s Children 2023: For every child, vaccination, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, April 2023.

Population, Midyear 2022: 5,180,829
Population Density (Number of Persons per Square Kilometer): 101.47
Projected Population, Midyear 2030: 5,432,244
Percentage of Total Population Aged 65 and Older, Midyear 2022: 10.83%
Projected Percentage of Total Population Aged 65 and Older, Midyear 2030: 14.60%
Projected Percentage of Total Population Aged 65 and Older, Midyear 2050: 23.57%

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2023). Data Portal, custom data acquired via website. United Nations: New York. Accessed 12 May 2023.

“Costa Rica is located in Central America, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; it borders Nicaragua and Panama. It is divided politically into 7 provinces, 81 cantons, and 463 districts. Its 8 indigenous populations are distributed across 24 territories. Of the total population, 2.42% describe themselves as indigenous, 1.9% as Afro-Costa Ricans, and 0.5% as Chinese.

“Between 1990 and 2015, the population grew by 55.3% and its pyramid shifted from an expansive one toward a regressive one through population aging. In 2015, the population was 4.8 million (76.8% in urban areas).

“In 2016, life expectancy at birth was 79.16 years (81 for women and 77 for men).

“Costa Rica is among the countries with high human development and is ranked fifth in Latin America on this scale as a result of heavy public social investment.”

Source: Pan American Health Organization. Health in the Americas, 2017 Edition. Summary: Regional Outlook and Country Profiles. Washington, DC: PAHO; 2017.

“In 2015, 21.7% of households were living in poverty, and 7.2% in extreme poverty. The highest-earning quintile received 54.4% of all income, while the lowest-earning quintile received 4.1%.

“The indigenous population, 47% of which is concentrated in 22 territories, exhibits high levels of poverty and marginalization, especially among women.

“In 2015, the literacy rate was 97.8%, and nearly 90% of children completed primary school. The mean educational attainment was 8.4 years of schooling.

“Almost the entire Costa Rican population has access to improved water sources and improved sanitation facilities.”

Source: Pan American Health Organization. Health in the Americas, 2017 Edition. Summary: Regional Outlook and Country Profiles. Washington, DC: PAHO; 2017.

Costa Rica: Population Demographics - Healthcare - National Policies - World Health Systems Facts

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Page last updated March 28, 2025 by Doug McVay, Editor.