Costa Rica vs New Zealand: Population, total
Costa Rica
5.15 million
in 2025
New Zealand
5.32 million
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
126th
New Zealand rank
124th
Population, total over time
- Costa Rica
- New Zealand
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 5.32 million against 5.15 million in Costa Rica, a difference of 171,750.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was New Zealand ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 126th and New Zealand ranks 124th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 2 and New Zealand in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.56 million | 2.59 million | 1.03 million | New Zealand |
| 1970s | 2.07 million | 3.01 million | 936,637 | New Zealand |
| 1980s | 2.71 million | 3.22 million | 507,213 | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 3.49 million | 3.64 million | 145,806 | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 4.23 million | 4.09 million | 135,783 | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 4.79 million | 4.61 million | 175,918 | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 5.09 million | 5.18 million | 81,492 | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population, total, Costa Rica or New Zealand?
- New Zealand, at 5.32 million against 5.15 million in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population, total between Costa Rica and New Zealand?
- 171,750, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and New Zealand?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and New Zealand rank globally for population, total?
- Costa Rica ranks 126th and New Zealand ranks 124th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Population, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.