Population in largest city in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Population in largest city was 1.50 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in largest city in Costa Rica, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in largest city in Costa Rica is 1.50 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in largest city in Costa Rica peaked at 1.50 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 229,792, in 1960.
That places Costa Rica 104th out of 153 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 282,884 | 229,792 | 342,870 | 10 |
| 1970s | 432,413 | 358,509 | 507,491 | 10 |
| 1980s | 618,489 | 526,020 | 716,486 | 10 |
| 1990s | 863,912 | 740,667 | 998,537 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.11 million | 1.03 million | 1.18 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.29 million | 1.20 million | 1.38 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.45 million | 1.40 million | 1.50 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More urban development data for Costa Rica
- Population in the largest city 36.6% (2025)
- Population density 99.99 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.50 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guidel 99.7% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in largest city in Costa Rica?
- Population in largest city in Costa Rica was 1.50 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in largest city recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 1.50 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in largest city recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 229,792 in 1960.
- How does Costa Rica rank for population in largest city?
- Costa Rica ranks 104th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in largest city rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. 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 largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.