Costa Rica has a population density of 260.2 people per square mile compared to 1,384 people in the Netherlands. Costa Rica has 107,389 sq ft of land per person vs 22,359 sq ft in the Netherlands. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Costa Rica and the Netherlands are ranked 91st and 17th, 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 0.22% of the population and 0.02% of the land area for the Netherlands, hence the population density in Costa Rica is 81.2% lower than in the Netherlands.
Population density comparison
Costa Rica
|
Netherlands
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 1,384 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 91/197 | 17/197 |
| Population |
5170484
|
18191638
|
| Land area | 19,714 sq mi | 13,000 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 107,137 sq ft | 20,141 sq ft |
| Rural population | 16.8% | 6.55% |
| Urban population | 83.2% | 93.5% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Costa Rica vs the Netherlands:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Costa Rica increased by 22.1%, compared to a 10.8% growth in the Netherlands.
In 2004, Costa Rica ranked 88th for population density and is in 91st place now. The Netherlands was 15th in 2004 and ranks 17th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
Netherlands
|
|
| 2024 | 260.2 | 1,384 |
| 2023 | 259 | 1,375 |
| 2022 | 257.8 | 1,362 |
| 2021 | 256.7 | 1,349 |
| 2020 | 255.4 | 1,342 |
| 2019 | 253.6 | 1,334 |
| 2018 | 251.5 | 1,326 |
| 2017 | 249.2 | 1,318 |
| 2016 | 246.9 | 1,310 |
| 2015 | 244.4 | 1,303 |
| 2014 | 241.8 | 1,297 |
| 2013 | 239.2 | 1,292 |
| 2012 | 236.6 | 1,287 |
| 2011 | 233.8 | 1,282 |
| 2010 | 231.1 | 1,276 |
| 2009 | 228.2 | 1,269 |
| 2008 | 225.2 | 1,262 |
| 2007 | 222.2 | 1,257 |
| 2006 | 219.2 | 1,254 |
| 2005 | 216.1 | 1,252 |
| 2004 | 213 | 1,249 |
| 2003 | 209.9 | 1,245 |
| 2002 | 206.7 | 1,239 |
| 2001 | 203.4 | 1,231 |
| 2000 | 199.7 | 1,222 |
| 1999 | 195.9 | 1,213 |
| 1998 | 191.9 | 1,205 |
| 1997 | 187.8 | 1,198 |
| 1996 | 183.6 | 1,191 |
| 1995 | 179.3 | 1,186 |
| 1994 | 175.1 | 1,180 |
| 1993 | 170.8 | 1,173 |
| 1992 | 166.6 | 1,165 |
| 1991 | 162.4 | 1,156 |
| 1990 | 158.3 | 1,147 |
| 1989 | 154.4 | 1,139 |
| 1988 | 150.6 | 1,132 |
| 1987 | 146.7 | 1,125 |
| 1986 | 142.9 | 1,118 |
| 1985 | 139.1 | 1,112 |
| 1984 | 135.3 | 1,107 |
| 1983 | 131.6 | 1,102 |
| 1982 | 128.1 | 1,098 |
| 1981 | 124.6 | 1,093 |
| 1980 | 121.3 | 1,086 |
| 1979 | 118 | 1,077 |
| 1978 | 114.9 | 1,070 |
| 1977 | 111.8 | 1,063 |
| 1976 | 108.9 | 1,057 |
| 1975 | 106.2 | 1,048 |
| 1974 | 103.5 | 1,039 |
| 1973 | 100.9 | 1,031 |
| 1972 | 98.3 | 1,023 |
| 1971 | 95.8 | 1,012 |
| 1970 | 93.3 | 1,000 |
| 1969 | 90.8 | 988 |
| 1968 | 88.2 | 977 |
| 1967 | 85.7 | 967 |
| 1966 | 83.1 | 956 |
| 1965 | 80.5 | 943 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 930 |
| 1963 | 75.2 | 918 |
| 1962 | 72.5 | 906 |
| 1961 | 69.9 | 893 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
Netherlands
|
|
| 2024 | 83.2% | 93.5% |
| 2023 | 82.6% | 93.2% |
| 2022 | 82% | 92.9% |
| 2021 | 81.4% | 92.6% |
| 2020 | 80.8% | 92.2% |
| 2019 | 80.1% | 91.9% |
| 2018 | 79.3% | 91.5% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | 91.1% |
| 2016 | 77.7% | 90.6% |
| 2015 | 76.9% | 90.2% |
| 2014 | 75.9% | 89.7% |
| 2013 | 75% | 89.2% |
| 2012 | 73.9% | 88.6% |
| 2011 | 72.9% | 87.9% |
| 2010 | 71.7% | 87.1% |
| 2009 | 70.6% | 86.3% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | 85.4% |
| 2007 | 68.2% | 84.5% |
| 2006 | 66.9% | 83.6% |
| 2005 | 65.7% | 82.6% |
| 2004 | 64.4% | 81.5% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | 80.3% |
| 2002 | 61.8% | 79.1% |
| 2001 | 60.4% | 77.8% |
| 2000 | 59.1% | 76.8% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | 76% |
| 1998 | 57.3% | 75.3% |
| 1997 | 56.4% | 74.5% |
| 1996 | 55.5% | 73.6% |
| 1995 | 54.6% | 72.8% |
| 1994 | 53.7% | 72% |
| 1993 | 52.7% | 71.1% |
| 1992 | 51.8% | 70.2% |
| 1991 | 50.9% | 69.3% |
| 1990 | 50% | 68.7% |
| 1989 | 49.1% | 68.3% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | 67.9% |
| 1987 | 47.3% | 67.5% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | 67.1% |
| 1985 | 45.4% | 66.7% |
| 1984 | 44.5% | 66.3% |
| 1983 | 44.2% | 65.9% |
| 1982 | 43.8% | 65.5% |
| 1981 | 43.5% | 65.1% |
| 1980 | 43.1% | 64.7% |
| 1979 | 42.7% | 64.4% |
| 1978 | 42.4% | 64.1% |
| 1977 | 42% | 63.8% |
| 1976 | 41.7% | 63.5% |
| 1975 | 41.3% | 63.2% |
| 1974 | 41% | 62.9% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | 62.6% |
| 1972 | 40.1% | 62.2% |
| 1971 | 39.4% | 61.9% |
| 1970 | 38.8% | 61.7% |
| 1969 | 38.2% | 61.5% |
| 1968 | 37.6% | 61.3% |
| 1967 | 37% | 61.1% |
| 1966 | 36.4% | 60.9% |
| 1965 | 35.8% | 60.8% |
| 1964 | 35.2% | 60.6% |
| 1963 | 34.6% | 60.4% |
| 1962 | 34.4% | 60.2% |
| 1961 | 34.3% | 60% |
| 1960 | 34.3% | 59.8% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 64.4% to 83.2% in Costa Rica and from 81.5% to 93.5% in the Netherlands.
Densely populated cities
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