Demographics ofCosta Rica
Costa Ricapopulation pyramid in 2024
Population	5,153,957[1][2]
Birth rate	10.2 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate	5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Fertility rate	1.29 children per woman (2022 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years	18.71%
15–64 years	68.44%
65 and over	12.85%
Nationality
Nationality	Costa Rican
Major ethnic	White (65.8%)[3] Spanish (N/D) Italian (N/D) Others (N/D)
Minor ethnic	Multiracial (24.5%)[3] Mestizo (17.8%) Mulatto (6.7%) Indigenous (2.4%)[3] African (1.1%)[3] East Asian (0.2%)[3] Chinese (N/D) Others (N/D) Others (6.0%)
Language
Official	Spanish
Spoken	Spanish,English,Mekatelyu,BriBri,Patois

According to theUnited Nations, Costa Rica had an estimated population of 5,265,575 people as of 2024.^[4]White people make up 65.8% of the population, 17.8% identity asmestizos, 7.8% areblack people (including mixed race), 2.4%Amerindians, and 6.2% other/none.^[4]

In 2010, just under 3% of the population was of African descent. These are calledAfro-Costa Ricans orWest Indians and are English-speaking descendants of 19th-century blackJamaican immigrant workers. Another 1% is composed of those of Chinese origin, and less than 1% are West Asian, mainly ofLebanese descent but also Palestinians. The 2011 Census provided the following data: whites and mestizos make up 83.4% of the population, 7% areblack people (including mixed race), 2.4%Amerindians, 0.2% Chinese, and 7% other/none.^{[citation needed]}

Immigration to Costa Rica made up 9% of the population in 2012. This included permanent settlers as well as migrants who were hoping to reach the U.S.^[5] In 2015, there were some 420,000 immigrants in Costa Rica^[6] and the number of asylum seekers (mainly from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua) rose to more than 110,000.^[7] An estimated 10% of the Costa Rican population in 2014 was made up ofNicaraguans.^[8] There is also a community of North American retirees from the United States and Canada, followed by relatively large numbers ofEuropean Union expatriates (chiefly Scandinavians and from Germany) come to retire as well, and Australians.^[9]

Despite a lowfertility rate of 1.67 children per woman (2024),^[10] the population still grows steadily due to immigration and a relatively young population.

Theindigenous population today numbers about 60,000 (just over 1% of the population), with someMiskito andGarifuna (a population of mixed African andCarib Amerindian descent) living in the coastal regions.

Costa Rica'semigration is the smallest in theCaribbean Basin and is among the smallest in theAmericas. By 2015 about just 133,185 (2.77%) of the country's people live in another country as immigrants. The main destination countries are theUnited States (85,924),Nicaragua (10,772),Panama (7,760),Canada (5,039),Spain (3,339),Mexico (2,464),Germany (1,891),Italy (1,508),Guatemala (1,162) andVenezuela (1,127).^[11]

In 2021, Costa Rica had a population of 5,153,957. The population is increasing at a rate of 1.5% per year. According to current trends, the population will increase to 9,158,000 in about 46 years.^[12] The population density is94 people per square km, the third highest in Central America.

Approximately 20% lived in rural areas and 80% in urban areas. The rate of urbanization estimated for the period 2005–2015 is 2.74% per annum,^[13] one of the highest amongdeveloping countries. About 75% of the population lives above 500 meters, where the temperature is cooler and milder.

The2011 census counted a population of 4.3 million people^[14] distributed among the following groups: 71.1% Whites orCastizos,17% Mestizo, 6.7% Black/Mulatto mixed race, 2.4%Native American, 1.1% Black orAfro-Caribbean; the census showed 1.1% as Other.^[15]

In 2011, there were over 104,000 Native American or indigenous inhabitants, representing 2.4% of the population. Most of them lived in secluded reservations, distributed among eight ethnic groups: Quitirrisí (in the Central Valley), Matambú orChorotega (Guanacaste),Maleku (northern Alajuela),Bribri (southern Atlantic), Cabécar (Cordillera de Talamanca),Guaymí (southern Costa Rica, along the Panamá border),Boruca (southern Costa Rica) and Térraba (southern Costa Rica).

Costa Ricans of European origin are primarily ofSpanish descent,^[16] with significant numbers of Italian, German, English, Dutch, French, Irish, Portuguese, and Polish families, as well as a sizable Jewish community. The majority of the Afro-Costa Ricans areCreole English-speaking descendants of 19th century blackJamaican immigrant workers.

The 2011 census classified 83.6% of the population as white andMestizo; the latter have combined European and Native American descent. TheMulatto segment (mix of white and black) represented 6.7%, and Indigenous people made up 2.4% of the population.^[16] Native and European mixed blood populations are far less than in other Latin American countries. Exceptions are theGuanacaste province, where almost half the population is visibly mestizo, a legacy of the more pervasive unions between Spanish colonists and Chorotega Amerindians through several generations, andLimón, where the vast majority of the Afro-Costa Rican community lives.

(c) = Census results.

Period	Live births	Deaths	Natural increase
January-June 2024	22,120	15,067	+7,053
January-June 2025	21,868	15,523	+6,345
Difference	-252 (-1.13%)	+456 (+3.03%)	-708
Source:[21]

Source:UN World Population Prospects^[22]

According to census data the vast majority of the population identifies itself as white or mestizo. The indigenous Amerindian population only constitutes 2.4% of the population in 2011, but has gone up from only 0.3% in 1950. About 7% has African roots.

European Costa Ricans are people fromCosta Rica whose ancestry lies within the continent ofEurope, most notablySpain. According to DNA studies, around 75%^[27] of the population have some level of European ancestry.^[24]

Percentages of the Costa Rican population by race are known as the national census, which includes the question of ethnicity in its form. As of 2012, 65.80% of Costa Ricans identify themselves as white/castizo and 17.80% as mestizo, giving around over 80% of the Caucasian population. This, however, is based on self-identification and not on scientific studies. According to thePLoSGenetics Geographic Patterns of Genome Admixture in Latin American Mestizos study of 2012, Costa Ricans have 73% of European ancestry, 25% Amerindian, and 2% African.^[28] According toCIA Factbook, Costa Rica has a white or Castizo population of 83.6%.^[16]

Cristopher Columbus and his crew were the first Europeans ever to set foot on what is now Costa Rica, having arrived atUvita Island (modern-dayLimón province) in 1502 on Columbus's last trip.^[29] Costa Rica was part of theSpanish Empire and colonized by Spaniards mostlyCastilians,Basque andSephardic Jews.

Afterindependence, large migrations of wealthyAmericans,Germans,French andBritish businessmen^[29] came to the country encouraged by the government and followed by their families and employees (many of them technicians and professionals), thus creating colonies and mixing with the population, especially thehigh andmiddle classes.^[30]

Later, smaller migrations ofItalians, Spaniards (mostlyCatalans) andArabs (mostlyLebanese andSyrians) took place. These migrants arrived fleeing economic crisis in their home countries, setting in large, more closed colonies.^[29]Polish migrants, mostlyAshkenazi Jews who fledanti-Semitism andNazi persecution in Europe, also arrived in large numbers.^[29]

In 1901, the presidentAscensión Esquivel Ibarra closed the country to all non-white immigrants. All Black,Chinese,Arab,Turkish orGypsy migration to the country was banned. After the beginning of theSpanish Civil War, a large influx ofRepublican refugees settled in the country, mostlyCastilians,Galicians, andAsturians,^[30] as well as laterChilean,Mexican andColombian^[29] migrants who would arrive escaping from war or dictatorships, as Costa Rica is the longest running democracy inLatin America.^[29][30]

Nearly all Costa Ricans speak Spanish, but many know English. Indigenous Costa Ricans also speak theirown language, such as the case of the Ngobes.

According to theWorld Factbook, the main faiths are Roman Catholic (76.3%), Evangelical (13.7%), Jehovah's Witnesses (1.3%), other Protestant (0.7%), other (4.8%), and none (3.2%).

The most recent nationwide survey ofreligion inCosta Rica, conducted in 2007 by theUniversity of Costa Rica, found that 70.5 percent of the population identify themselves asRoman Catholics (with 44.9 percent practicing, 25.6 percent nonpracticing), 13.8 percent areEvangelical Protestants, 11.3 percent report that theydo not have a religion, and 4.3 percent declare that they belong to another religion.^[33]

Apart from the dominant Catholic religion, several other religious groups exist in the country.^[33]Methodist,Lutheran,Episcopal,Baptist, and other Protestant groups have significant membership.^[33]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) claims more than 35,000 members and has a temple inSan José that served as a regional worship center for Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, and Honduras.^[34]

Although they represent less than 1 percent of the population,Jehovah's Witnesses have a strong presence on the Caribbean coast.^[33] Seventh-day Adventists operate a university that attracts students from throughout the Caribbean Basin.^[33] TheUnification Church maintains its continental headquarters for Latin America in San José.^[33]

Non-Christian religious groups, including followers ofJudaism,Islam,Taoism,Hare Krishna,Paganism,Wicca,Scientology,Tenrikyo, and theBaháʼí Faith, claim membership throughout the country, with the majority of worshipers residing in the Central Valley (the area of the capital).^[33] While there is no general correlation between religion and ethnicity, indigenous peoples are more likely to practiceanimism than other religions.^[33]

Article 75 of the Costa Rican Constitution states that the "Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Religion is the official religion of the Republic."^[35] That same article provides forfreedom of religion. The government respects this right.^[33] The US government found no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice in 2007.^[33]

Costa Rican emigration is among the smallest in theCaribbean Basin. About 2% of the country's population lives in another country as immigrants. The main destination countries are the United States, Spain, Mexico, and other Central American countries. In 2005, 127,061 Costa Ricans lived in another country as immigrants.Remittance s were $513,000,000 in 2006, which represented 2.3% of the national GDP.

Costa Rica's immigration is among the largest in the Caribbean Basin. According to the 2011 census, 385,899 residents were born abroad.^[36] The vast majority were born inNicaragua (287,766). Other countries of origin wereColombia (20,514),United States (16,898),Spain (16,482) andPanama (11,250). Outward remittances were $246,000,000 in 2006.

According to theWorld Bank, about 489,200 migrants lived in the country in 2010; mainly from Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize, while 125,306 Costa Ricans live abroad in the United States, Panama, Nicaragua, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Venezuela,Dominican Republic, andEcuador.^[37] The number of migrants declined in later years but in 2015, there were some 420,000 immigrants in Costa Rica^[6] and the number of asylum seekers (mainly from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua) rose to more than 110,000, a fivefold increase from 2012.^[7] In 2016, the country was called a "magnet" for migrants from South and Central America and other countries who were hoping to reach the U.S.^[38][39]

• Ethnic groups in Central America

 This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2025 ed.).CIA. (Archived 2006 edition.)

• UNICEF Information about Costa Rica's DemographicsArchived 2005-01-05 at theWayback Machine
• INEC.National Institute of Statistics and Census(in Spanish)

• Demographics of Costa Rica

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