Costa Rica has a population density of 260.2 people per square mile compared to 792 people in El Salvador. Costa Rica has 107,389 sq ft of land per person vs 35,733 sq ft in El Salvador. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Costa Rica and El Salvador are ranked 91st and 33rd, 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 the land area of all countries, compared to 0.08% of the population and 0.01% of the land area for El Salvador, hence the population density in Costa Rica is 67.2% lower than in El Salvador.
Population density comparison
Costa Rica
|
El Salvador
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 792 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 91/197 | 33/197 |
| Population |
5170484
|
6386184
|
| Land area | 19,714 sq mi | 8,000 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 107,137 sq ft | 35,188 sq ft |
| Rural population | 16.8% | 24% |
| Urban population | 83.2% | 76% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Costa Rica vs El Salvador:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Costa Rica increased by 22.1%, compared to a 5.55% growth in El Salvador.
In 2004, Costa Rica ranked 88th for population density and is in 91st place now. El Salvador was 27th in 2004 and ranks 33rd out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
El Salvador
|
|
| 2024 | 260.2 | 792 |
| 2023 | 259 | 789 |
| 2022 | 257.8 | 785 |
| 2021 | 256.7 | 782 |
| 2020 | 255.4 | 779 |
| 2019 | 253.6 | 778 |
| 2018 | 251.5 | 777 |
| 2017 | 249.2 | 777 |
| 2016 | 246.9 | 775 |
| 2015 | 244.4 | 773 |
| 2014 | 241.8 | 770 |
| 2013 | 239.2 | 767 |
| 2012 | 236.6 | 764 |
| 2011 | 233.8 | 761 |
| 2010 | 231.1 | 759 |
| 2009 | 228.2 | 756 |
| 2008 | 225.2 | 754 |
| 2007 | 222.2 | 751 |
| 2006 | 219.2 | 750 |
| 2005 | 216.1 | 751 |
| 2004 | 213 | 751 |
| 2003 | 209.9 | 750 |
| 2002 | 206.7 | 748 |
| 2001 | 203.4 | 746 |
| 2000 | 199.7 | 743 |
| 1999 | 195.9 | 739 |
| 1998 | 191.9 | 735 |
| 1997 | 187.8 | 731 |
| 1996 | 183.6 | 726 |
| 1995 | 179.3 | 720 |
| 1994 | 175.1 | 714 |
| 1993 | 170.8 | 707 |
| 1992 | 166.6 | 698 |
| 1991 | 162.4 | 687 |
| 1990 | 158.3 | 675 |
| 1989 | 154.4 | 662 |
| 1988 | 150.6 | 649 |
| 1987 | 146.7 | 637 |
| 1986 | 142.9 | 624 |
| 1985 | 139.1 | 612 |
| 1984 | 135.3 | 600 |
| 1983 | 131.6 | 588 |
| 1982 | 128.1 | 578 |
| 1981 | 124.6 | 571 |
| 1980 | 121.3 | 568 |
| 1979 | 118 | 560 |
| 1978 | 114.9 | 549 |
| 1977 | 111.8 | 538 |
| 1976 | 108.9 | 526 |
| 1975 | 106.2 | 512 |
| 1974 | 103.5 | 501 |
| 1973 | 100.9 | 489 |
| 1972 | 98.3 | 478 |
| 1971 | 95.8 | 467 |
| 1970 | 93.3 | 456 |
| 1969 | 90.8 | 444 |
| 1968 | 88.2 | 432 |
| 1967 | 85.7 | 421 |
| 1966 | 83.1 | 409 |
| 1965 | 80.5 | 397 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 387 |
| 1963 | 75.2 | 376 |
| 1962 | 72.5 | 366 |
| 1961 | 69.9 | 357 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
El Salvador
|
|
| 2024 | 83.2% | 76% |
| 2023 | 82.6% | 75.4% |
| 2022 | 82% | 74.8% |
| 2021 | 81.4% | 74.1% |
| 2020 | 80.8% | 73.4% |
| 2019 | 80.1% | 72.7% |
| 2018 | 79.3% | 72% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | 71.3% |
| 2016 | 77.7% | 70.5% |
| 2015 | 76.9% | 69.7% |
| 2014 | 75.9% | 68.9% |
| 2013 | 75% | 68% |
| 2012 | 73.9% | 67.2% |
| 2011 | 72.9% | 66.3% |
| 2010 | 71.7% | 65.5% |
| 2009 | 70.6% | 64.6% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | 63.7% |
| 2007 | 68.2% | 62.8% |
| 2006 | 66.9% | 62.2% |
| 2005 | 65.7% | 61.6% |
| 2004 | 64.4% | 61.1% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | 60.6% |
| 2002 | 61.8% | 60% |
| 2001 | 60.4% | 59.5% |
| 2000 | 59.1% | 58.9% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | 58.4% |
| 1998 | 57.3% | 57.8% |
| 1997 | 56.4% | 56.5% |
| 1996 | 55.5% | 55.3% |
| 1995 | 54.6% | 54% |
| 1994 | 53.7% | 52.7% |
| 1993 | 52.7% | 51.4% |
| 1992 | 51.8% | 50.3% |
| 1991 | 50.9% | 49.8% |
| 1990 | 50% | 49.3% |
| 1989 | 49.1% | 48.8% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | 48.2% |
| 1987 | 47.3% | 47.7% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | 47.2% |
| 1985 | 45.4% | 46.7% |
| 1984 | 44.5% | 46.2% |
| 1983 | 44.2% | 45.6% |
| 1982 | 43.8% | 45.1% |
| 1981 | 43.5% | 44.6% |
| 1980 | 43.1% | 44.1% |
| 1979 | 42.7% | 43.6% |
| 1978 | 42.4% | 43.1% |
| 1977 | 42% | 42.6% |
| 1976 | 41.7% | 42.1% |
| 1975 | 41.3% | 41.6% |
| 1974 | 41% | 41% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | 40.5% |
| 1972 | 40.1% | 40% |
| 1971 | 39.4% | 39.5% |
| 1970 | 38.8% | 39.4% |
| 1969 | 38.2% | 39.3% |
| 1968 | 37.6% | 39.2% |
| 1967 | 37% | 39.1% |
| 1966 | 36.4% | 39% |
| 1965 | 35.8% | 38.9% |
| 1964 | 35.2% | 38.8% |
| 1963 | 34.6% | 38.7% |
| 1962 | 34.4% | 38.6% |
| 1961 | 34.3% | 38.5% |
| 1960 | 34.3% | 38.4% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 64.4% to 83.2% in Costa Rica and from 61.1% to 76% in El Salvador.
Densely populated cities
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| San Jose | 342K |
| Limon | 71.5K |
| Liberia | 65.9K |
|
El Salvador
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| San Salvador | 331K |
| Santa Ana | 251K |
| San Miguel | 233K |
| Soyapango | 230K |
| Mejicanos | 137K |
| Apopa | 129K |
| Ahuachapan | 127K |
| Santa Tecla | 126K |
| Sonsonate | 72.2K |
| Usulutan | 66.1K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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comparisons:
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