Costa Rica — Urban population
Urban Population (% of Total) for Costa Rica, 1960–2025.
Urban population for Costa Rica was 79.73% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 34.11% in 1960 (about 2.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 1.31% per year.
Costa Rica ranks 59 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 27%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 72.52%, so Costa Rica sits above it. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 6%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 16 of 42 economies; Colombia (78.78%) is just below it. That is 3% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1960 level: doubled by 2008. Doubling roughly every 53 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 110th of 217 in 1960 → 114th of 217 in 1970 → 119th of 217 in 1980 → 120th of 217 in 1990 → 99th of 217 in 2000 → 71st of 217 in 2010 → 65th of 217 in 2020 → 59th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 79.73% | +0.4 pp |
| 2024 | 79.31% | +0.4 pp |
| 2023 | 78.88% | +0.4 pp |
| 2022 | 78.44% | +0.5 pp |
| 2021 | 77.99% | +0.5 pp |
| 2020 | 77.52% | +0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 77.04% | +0.5 pp |
| 2018 | 76.55% | +0.5 pp |
| 2017 | 76.05% | +0.5 pp |
| 2016 | 75.54% | +0.5 pp |
| 2015 | 75.02% | +0.5 pp |
| 2014 | 74.49% | +0.5 pp |
| 2013 | 73.94% | +0.6 pp |
| 2012 | 73.39% | +0.5 pp |
| 2011 | 72.84% | +1.3 pp |
| 2010 | 71.51% | +1.4 pp |
| 2009 | 70.14% | +1.3 pp |
| 2008 | 68.79% | +1.3 pp |
| 2007 | 67.47% | +1.3 pp |
| 2006 | 66.17% | +1.3 pp |
| 2005 | 64.9% | +1.2 pp |
| 2004 | 63.66% | +1.2 pp |
| 2003 | 62.45% | +1.2 pp |
| 2002 | 61.28% | +1.1 pp |
| 2001 | 60.14% | +1.1 pp |
| 2000 | 59.05% | +1.1 pp |
| 1999 | 57.96% | +1.1 pp |
| 1998 | 56.87% | +1.1 pp |
| 1997 | 55.77% | +1.1 pp |
| 1996 | 54.68% | +1.1 pp |
| 1995 | 53.6% | +1.1 pp |
| 1994 | 52.53% | +1.0 pp |
| 1993 | 51.49% | +1.0 pp |
| 1992 | 50.48% | +1.0 pp |
| 1991 | 49.51% | +0.9 pp |
| 1990 | 48.58% | +0.9 pp |
| 1989 | 47.71% | +0.8 pp |
| 1988 | 46.89% | +0.7 pp |
| 1987 | 46.14% | +0.7 pp |
| 1986 | 45.47% | +0.6 pp |
| 1985 | 44.87% | +0.5 pp |
| 1984 | 44.37% | +0.4 pp |
| 1983 | 43.93% | +0.4 pp |
| 1982 | 43.54% | +0.3 pp |
| 1981 | 43.2% | +0.3 pp |
| 1980 | 42.89% | +0.3 pp |
| 1979 | 42.61% | +0.3 pp |
| 1978 | 42.33% | +0.3 pp |
| 1977 | 42.04% | +0.3 pp |
| 1976 | 41.75% | +0.3 pp |
| 1975 | 41.43% | +0.4 pp |
| 1974 | 41.07% | +0.4 pp |
| 1973 | 40.66% | +0.5 pp |
| 1972 | 40.16% | +0.6 pp |
| 1971 | 39.54% | +0.7 pp |
| 1970 | 38.82% | +0.8 pp |
| 1969 | 38.04% | +0.8 pp |
| 1968 | 37.26% | +0.8 pp |
| 1967 | 36.5% | +0.7 pp |
| 1966 | 35.8% | +0.6 pp |
| 1965 | 35.21% | +0.5 pp |
| 1964 | 34.76% | +0.3 pp |
| 1963 | 34.49% | +0.1 pp |
| 1962 | 34.35% | +0.1 pp |
| 1961 | 34.22% | +0.1 pp |
| 1960 | 34.11% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Costa Rica’s Urban population in 1961?
34.22% (1961). 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 % of total population, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Costa Rica’s Urban population growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +133.8% in total — about 1.3% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS. 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: 79.73%; 2024: 79.31%; 2023: 78.88%; 2022: 78.44%; 2021: 77.99%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS — Urban Population (% of Total). 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.