Costa Rica has a population density of 262.6 people per square mile compared to 624 people in the Dominican Republic. Costa Rica has 107,389 sq ft of land per person vs 45,844 sq ft in the Dominican Republic. Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic rank 93rd and 49th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Costa Rica has 0.06% of the world's population and 0.03% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.14% of the population and 0.03% of the land area for the Dominican Republic, making the population density in Costa Rica 57.9% lower than in the Dominican Republic.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Costa Rica
|
Dominican Republic
|
|
| 2026 | 262.6 | 624 |
| 2025 | 261.4 | 619 |
| 2024 | 260.2 | 614 |
| 2023 | 259 | 609 |
| 2022 | 257.8 | 603 |
| 2021 | 256.7 | 598 |
| 2020 | 255.4 | 592 |
| 2019 | 253.6 | 585 |
| 2018 | 251.5 | 578 |
| 2017 | 249.2 | 572 |
| 2016 | 246.9 | 566 |
| 2015 | 244.4 | 559 |
| 2014 | 241.8 | 553 |
| 2013 | 239.2 | 547 |
| 2012 | 236.6 | 540 |
| 2011 | 233.8 | 533 |
| 2010 | 231.1 | 526 |
| 2009 | 228.2 | 520 |
| 2008 | 225.2 | 513 |
| 2007 | 222.2 | 507 |
| 2006 | 219.2 | 501 |
| 2005 | 216.1 | 495 |
| 2004 | 213 | 488 |
| 2003 | 209.9 | 481 |
| 2002 | 206.7 | 475 |
| 2001 | 203.4 | 468 |
| 2000 | 199.7 | 460 |
| 1999 | 195.9 | 453 |
| 1998 | 191.9 | 446 |
| 1997 | 187.8 | 438 |
| 1996 | 183.6 | 431 |
| 1995 | 179.3 | 423 |
| 1994 | 175.1 | 415 |
| 1993 | 170.8 | 407 |
| 1992 | 166.6 | 399 |
| 1991 | 162.4 | 391 |
| 1990 | 158.3 | 383 |
| 1989 | 154.4 | 375 |
| 1988 | 150.6 | 368 |
| 1987 | 146.7 | 360 |
| 1986 | 142.9 | 352 |
| 1985 | 139.1 | 345 |
| 1984 | 135.3 | 337 |
| 1983 | 131.6 | 330 |
| 1982 | 128.1 | 322 |
| 1981 | 124.6 | 315 |
| 1980 | 121.3 | 307 |
| 1979 | 118 | 299.7 |
| 1978 | 114.9 | 292.3 |
| 1977 | 111.8 | 285 |
| 1976 | 108.9 | 277.7 |
| 1975 | 106.2 | 270.6 |
| 1974 | 103.5 | 263.5 |
| 1973 | 100.9 | 256.4 |
| 1972 | 98.3 | 249.4 |
| 1971 | 95.8 | 242.6 |
| 1970 | 93.3 | 235.9 |
| 1969 | 90.8 | 229.3 |
| 1968 | 88.2 | 222.9 |
| 1967 | 85.7 | 216.5 |
| 1966 | 83.1 | 210.3 |
| 1965 | 80.5 | 204.2 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 198.3 |
| 1963 | 75.2 | 192.4 |
| 1962 | 72.5 | 186.6 |
| 1961 | 69.9 | 180.8 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).
GeoRank.org/population-density/costa-rica/dominican-republic | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Costa Rica increased by 19.8%, compared to a 24.6% growth in the Dominican Republic.
In 2006, Costa Rica ranked 88th by population density and is 93rd now. The Dominican Republic was 43rd in 2006 and ranks 49th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Costa Rica
|
Dominican Republic
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 262.6 ppl/mi² | 624 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 93/197 | 49/197 |
| Population |
5181862
|
11637906
|
| Land area | 19,714 sq mi | 18,609 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 107,137 sq ft | 45,399 sq ft |
| Rural population | 20.7% | 27.6% |
| Urban population | 79.3% | 72.4% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 30.5% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
Dominican Republic
|
|
| 2024 | 79.3% | 72.4% |
| 2023 | 78.9% | 72.4% |
| 2022 | 78.4% | 72.4% |
| 2021 | 78% | 72.9% |
| 2020 | 77.5% | 73.3% |
| 2019 | 77% | 73.5% |
| 2018 | 76.6% | 73.8% |
| 2017 | 76.1% | 73.9% |
| 2016 | 75.5% | 74.1% |
| 2015 | 75% | 74.1% |
| 2014 | 74.5% | 74.2% |
| 2013 | 73.9% | 74.2% |
| 2012 | 73.4% | 74.2% |
| 2011 | 72.8% | 74.2% |
| 2010 | 71.5% | 74.2% |
| 2009 | 70.1% | 73.6% |
| 2008 | 68.8% | 72.5% |
| 2007 | 67.5% | 71% |
| 2006 | 66.2% | 69.3% |
| 2005 | 64.9% | 67.6% |
| 2004 | 63.7% | 65.9% |
| 2003 | 62.5% | 64.4% |
| 2002 | 61.3% | 63.3% |
| 2001 | 60.1% | 62.3% |
| 2000 | 59% | 61.3% |
| 1999 | 58% | 60.4% |
| 1998 | 56.9% | 59.5% |
| 1997 | 55.8% | 58.6% |
| 1996 | 54.7% | 57.8% |
| 1995 | 53.6% | 57.1% |
| 1994 | 52.5% | 56.5% |
| 1993 | 51.5% | 56% |
| 1992 | 50.5% | 55.6% |
| 1991 | 49.5% | 55.3% |
| 1990 | 48.6% | 55% |
| 1989 | 47.7% | 54.7% |
| 1988 | 46.9% | 54.4% |
| 1987 | 46.1% | 54.2% |
| 1986 | 45.5% | 54% |
| 1985 | 44.9% | 53.7% |
| 1984 | 44.4% | 53.4% |
| 1983 | 43.9% | 53.1% |
| 1982 | 43.5% | 52.6% |
| 1981 | 43.2% | 52.1% |
| 1980 | 42.9% | 51.5% |
| 1979 | 42.6% | 50.7% |
| 1978 | 42.3% | 49.7% |
| 1977 | 42% | 48.6% |
| 1976 | 41.7% | 47.5% |
| 1975 | 41.4% | 46.3% |
| 1974 | 41.1% | 45% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | 43.8% |
| 1972 | 40.2% | 42.6% |
| 1971 | 39.5% | 41.4% |
| 1970 | 38.8% | 40.2% |
| 1969 | 38% | 39.2% |
| 1968 | 37.3% | 38.1% |
| 1967 | 36.5% | 37.1% |
| 1966 | 35.8% | 36% |
| 1965 | 35.2% | 34.9% |
| 1964 | 34.8% | 33.9% |
| 1963 | 34.5% | 32.9% |
| 1962 | 34.3% | 31.9% |
| 1961 | 34.2% | 31% |
| 1960 | 34.1% | 30.2% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/costa-rica/dominican-republic | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 63.7% to 79.3% in Costa Rica and from 65.9% to 72.4% in the Dominican Republic.
Densely populated cities
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| San Jose | 335K |
| Limon | 71.5K |
| Liberia | 65.9K |
|
Dominican Republic
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Santo Domingo | 2.2M |
| Santiago de los Caballeros | 1.34M |
| Puerto Plata | 338K |
| La Vega | 282K |
| Higuey | 251K |
| San Cristobal | 233K |
| San Pedro de Macoris | 217K |
| San Francisco de Macoris | 188K |
| San Juan de la Maguana | 169K |
| Bonao | 158K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/costa-rica/dominican-republic | CC BY
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- Wikidata (2010–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
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