Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Urban population
Costa Rica
4.11 million
in 2025
Nicaragua
4.17 million
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
111th
Nicaragua rank
109th
Urban population over time
- Costa Rica
- Nicaragua
How they compare
Nicaragua currently reports 4.17 million against 4.11 million in Costa Rica, a difference of 57,230.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Nicaragua ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 111th and Nicaragua ranks 109th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 2 and Nicaragua in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Nicaragua | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 554,984 | 876,073 | 321,089 | Nicaragua |
| 1970s | 852,553 | 1.37 million | 519,580 | Nicaragua |
| 1980s | 1.22 million | 1.92 million | 695,200 | Nicaragua |
| 1990s | 1.86 million | 2.49 million | 626,147 | Nicaragua |
| 2000s | 2.73 million | 2.98 million | 247,999 | Nicaragua |
| 2010s | 3.58 million | 3.53 million | 48,507 | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 4.01 million | 4.01 million | 755 | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban population, Costa Rica or Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua, at 4.17 million against 4.11 million in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population between Costa Rica and Nicaragua?
- 57,230, with Nicaragua ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Nicaragua?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Nicaragua rank globally for urban population?
- Costa Rica ranks 111th and Nicaragua ranks 109th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Urban population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.