Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 29.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Costa Rica, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Costa Rica stood at 29.2%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Costa Rica peaked at 29.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 1960.
That places Costa Rica 39th out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 17.3% | — |
| 1961 | 17.4% | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 17.6% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 17.7% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 17.9% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 18.1% | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 18.3% | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 18.6% | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 18.8% | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 19.2% | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 19.5% | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 19.8% | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 20.2% | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 20.6% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 20.8% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 21.0% | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 21.2% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 21.4% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 21.6% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 21.8% | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 22.0% | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 22.2% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 22.4% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 22.6% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 22.8% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 22.9% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 23.0% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 23.2% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 23.4% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 23.5% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 23.7% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 23.9% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 24.1% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 24.3% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 24.5% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 24.7% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 25.0% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 25.2% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 25.5% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 25.9% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 26.2% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 26.1% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 26.1% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 26.1% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 26.1% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 26.1% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 26.2% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 26.2% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 26.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 26.3% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 26.4% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 26.5% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 26.6% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 26.7% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 26.8% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 26.9% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 27.1% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 27.2% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 27.4% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 27.6% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 27.8% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 28.1% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 28.4% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 28.6% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 28.9% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 29.2% | +0.9% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 29.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 28.3%, 1.0× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 29.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 35.2%, 83% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.1% | 17.3% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 20.8% | 19.5% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.8% | 22.0% | 23.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.7% | 23.7% | 25.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.2% | 26.1% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.9% | 26.4% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.5% | 27.8% | 29.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More climate change data for Costa Rica
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 108.28 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,751 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 942.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,808 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 688.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 623.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 65.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.35 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Costa Rica?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Costa Rica was 29.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 29.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 1960.
- How does Costa Rica rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Costa Rica ranks 39th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.