Costa Rica — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for Costa Rica, 1961–2025.
Population growth for Costa Rica was 0.45% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 3.73% in 1961. The lowest was 0.43% in 2022 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -3.26% per year.
Costa Rica ranks 143 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 66%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 0.48%, so Costa Rica sits below it. It peaked in 1961 and has fallen 88% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 58%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 23 of 42 economies; Bahamas, The (0.44%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 27% in 2021. That is 37% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 16th of 216 in 1961 → 63rd of 216 in 1970 → 65th of 216 in 1980 → 75th of 216 in 1990 → 71st of 217 in 2000 → 106th of 217 in 2010 → 123rd of 217 in 2020 → 143rd of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.45% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 0.48% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 0.47% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 0.43% | -0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 0.51% | -0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 0.69% | -0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 0.84% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 0.94% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 1.01% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 1.06% | -0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 1.07% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 1.11% | -0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 1.17% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 1.18% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 1.24% | -0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 1.34% | -0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 1.36% | +0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 1.35% | -0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 1.4% | -0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 1.45% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 1.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 1.54% | -0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 1.65% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 1.79% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 1.94% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 2.07% | -0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 2.17% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 2.26% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 2.34% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 2.41% | -0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 2.45% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 2.5% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 2.53% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 2.55% | +0.0 pp |
| 1990 | 2.53% | +0.0 pp |
| 1989 | 2.52% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 2.57% | -0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 2.64% | -0.1 pp |
| 1986 | 2.71% | -0.0 pp |
| 1985 | 2.75% | -0.0 pp |
| 1984 | 2.75% | +0.0 pp |
| 1983 | 2.75% | +0.0 pp |
| 1982 | 2.74% | +0.0 pp |
| 1981 | 2.72% | +0.0 pp |
| 1980 | 2.72% | +0.0 pp |
| 1979 | 2.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 1978 | 2.66% | +0.0 pp |
| 1977 | 2.63% | +0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 2.6% | +0.0 pp |
| 1975 | 2.57% | +0.0 pp |
| 1974 | 2.55% | -0.0 pp |
| 1973 | 2.55% | -0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 2.6% | -0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 2.66% | -0.1 pp |
| 1970 | 2.74% | -0.1 pp |
| 1969 | 2.81% | -0.1 pp |
| 1968 | 2.93% | -0.2 pp |
| 1967 | 3.09% | -0.1 pp |
| 1966 | 3.22% | -0.1 pp |
| 1965 | 3.35% | -0.1 pp |
| 1964 | 3.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 1963 | 3.58% | -0.1 pp |
| 1962 | 3.67% | -0.1 pp |
| 1961 | 3.73% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Costa Rica’s Population growth in 1962?
3.67% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Costa Rica’s Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -88.0% in total — about 3.3% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 0.45%; 2024: 0.48%; 2023: 0.47%; 2022: 0.43%; 2021: 0.51%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.