Country Details
Costa Rica
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
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People and Society
Detailed information and insights
Population
Total
5,304,932 (2025 est.)
Male
2,654,314
Female
2,650,618
Nationality
Noun
Costa Rican(s)
Adjective
Costa Rican
Ethnic groups
White or Mestizo 83.6%, Mulatto 6.7%, Indigenous 2.4%, Black or African descent 1.1%, other 1.1%, none 2.9%, unspecified 2.2% (2011 est.)
Languages
Languages
Spanish (official), English
Major-language sample(s)
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Roman Catholic 47.5%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 19.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other Protestant 1.2%, other 3.1%, none 27% (2021 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
18.8% (male 506,041/female 482,481)
15-64 years
70.2% (male 1,862,872/female 1,832,024)
65 years and over
11.1% (2024 est.) (male 266,568/female 315,589)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio
42.7 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio
26.2 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio
16.5 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio
6.1 (2025 est.)
Median age
Total
36 years (2025 est.)
Male
34.9 years
Female
36.1 years
Population growth rate
0.75% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
10.86 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
5.24 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
1.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
roughly half of the nation's population resides in urban areas; the capital of San Jose is the largest city and home to approximately one fifth of the population
Urbanization
Urban population
82.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization
1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.462 million SAN JOSE (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
At birth
1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.84 male(s)/female
Total population
1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
24 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
Total
6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Male
7 deaths/1,000 live births
Female
6.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
Total population
80.3 years (2024 est.)
Male
77.7 years
Female
82.9 years
Total fertility rate
1.45 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.71 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
Improved: urban
urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: rural
rural: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total
total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban
urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural
rural: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total
total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
7.6% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
25.8% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
2.69 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Hospital bed density
1.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access
Improved: urban
urban: 99.2% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: rural
rural: 97.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total
total: 98.9% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban
urban: 0.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural
rural: 2.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total
total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
25.7% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total
3.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer
2.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine
0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits
0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols
0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total
8.1% (2025 est.)
Male
12.2% (2025 est.)
Female
4.1% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.9% (2018 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
41.7% (2022 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15
2% (2018)
Women married by age 18
17.1% (2018)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
6.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
31.2% national budget (2021 est.)
Literacy
Female
94.1% (2018 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
Total
16 years (2019 est.)
Male
15 years (2019 est.)
Female
16 years (2019 est.)