Costa Rica has a population density of 260.2 people per square mile compared to 1,497 people in Rwanda. Costa Rica has 107,389 sq ft of land per person vs 19,886 sq ft in Rwanda. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Costa Rica and Rwanda are ranked 91st and 13th, 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 0.18% of the population and 0.02% of the land area for Rwanda, hence the population density in Costa Rica is 82.6% lower than in Rwanda.
Population density comparison
Costa Rica
|
Rwanda
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 1,497 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 91/197 | 13/197 |
| Population |
5170484
|
14826674
|
| Land area | 19,714 sq mi | 9,525 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 107,137 sq ft | 18,626 sq ft |
| Rural population | 16.8% | 81.9% |
| Urban population | 83.2% | 18.1% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 8.11% |
Costa Rica vs Rwanda:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Costa Rica increased by 22.1%, compared to a 61.7% growth in Rwanda.
In 2004, Costa Rica ranked 88th for population density and is in 91st place now. Rwanda was 18th in 2004 and ranks 13th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
Rwanda
|
|
| 2024 | 260.2 | 1,497 |
| 2023 | 259 | 1,465 |
| 2022 | 257.8 | 1,433 |
| 2021 | 256.7 | 1,402 |
| 2020 | 255.4 | 1,372 |
| 2019 | 253.6 | 1,341 |
| 2018 | 251.5 | 1,311 |
| 2017 | 249.2 | 1,281 |
| 2016 | 246.9 | 1,251 |
| 2015 | 244.4 | 1,222 |
| 2014 | 241.8 | 1,193 |
| 2013 | 239.2 | 1,165 |
| 2012 | 236.6 | 1,137 |
| 2011 | 233.8 | 1,110 |
| 2010 | 231.1 | 1,083 |
| 2009 | 228.2 | 1,056 |
| 2008 | 225.2 | 1,029 |
| 2007 | 222.2 | 1,003 |
| 2006 | 219.2 | 976 |
| 2005 | 216.1 | 951 |
| 2004 | 213 | 926 |
| 2003 | 209.9 | 901 |
| 2002 | 206.7 | 882 |
| 2001 | 203.4 | 870 |
| 2000 | 199.7 | 862 |
| 1999 | 195.9 | 855 |
| 1998 | 191.9 | 848 |
| 1997 | 187.8 | 814 |
| 1996 | 183.6 | 704 |
| 1995 | 179.3 | 596 |
| 1994 | 175.1 | 713 |
| 1993 | 170.8 | 838 |
| 1992 | 166.6 | 807 |
| 1991 | 162.4 | 790 |
| 1990 | 158.3 | 774 |
| 1989 | 154.4 | 754 |
| 1988 | 150.6 | 732 |
| 1987 | 146.7 | 709 |
| 1986 | 142.9 | 686 |
| 1985 | 139.1 | 663 |
| 1984 | 135.3 | 641 |
| 1983 | 131.6 | 620 |
| 1982 | 128.1 | 600 |
| 1981 | 124.6 | 580 |
| 1980 | 121.3 | 562 |
| 1979 | 118 | 545 |
| 1978 | 114.9 | 529 |
| 1977 | 111.8 | 513 |
| 1976 | 108.9 | 498 |
| 1975 | 106.2 | 484 |
| 1974 | 103.5 | 470 |
| 1973 | 100.9 | 456 |
| 1972 | 98.3 | 443 |
| 1971 | 95.8 | 430 |
| 1970 | 93.3 | 418 |
| 1969 | 90.8 | 405 |
| 1968 | 88.2 | 393 |
| 1967 | 85.7 | 381 |
| 1966 | 83.1 | 370 |
| 1965 | 80.5 | 359 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 350 |
| 1963 | 75.2 | 342 |
| 1962 | 72.5 | 334 |
| 1961 | 69.9 | 326 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
Rwanda
|
|
| 2024 | 83.2% | 18.1% |
| 2023 | 82.6% | 17.9% |
| 2022 | 82% | 17.7% |
| 2021 | 81.4% | 17.6% |
| 2020 | 80.8% | 17.4% |
| 2019 | 80.1% | 17.3% |
| 2018 | 79.3% | 17.2% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | 17.1% |
| 2016 | 77.7% | 17.1% |
| 2015 | 76.9% | 17% |
| 2014 | 75.9% | 17% |
| 2013 | 75% | 16.9% |
| 2012 | 73.9% | 16.9% |
| 2011 | 72.9% | 16.9% |
| 2010 | 71.7% | 16.9% |
| 2009 | 70.6% | 16.9% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | 16.9% |
| 2007 | 68.2% | 16.9% |
| 2006 | 66.9% | 16.9% |
| 2005 | 65.7% | 16.9% |
| 2004 | 64.4% | 16.9% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | 16.9% |
| 2002 | 61.8% | 16.8% |
| 2001 | 60.4% | 15.8% |
| 2000 | 59.1% | 14.9% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | 14.1% |
| 1998 | 57.3% | 13.2% |
| 1997 | 56.4% | 12.5% |
| 1996 | 55.5% | 11.4% |
| 1995 | 54.6% | 9.84% |
| 1994 | 53.7% | 8.49% |
| 1993 | 52.7% | 7.31% |
| 1992 | 51.8% | 6.29% |
| 1991 | 50.9% | 5.49% |
| 1990 | 50% | 5.42% |
| 1989 | 49.1% | 5.34% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | 5.27% |
| 1987 | 47.3% | 5.2% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | 5.13% |
| 1985 | 45.4% | 5.06% |
| 1984 | 44.5% | 4.99% |
| 1983 | 44.2% | 4.92% |
| 1982 | 43.8% | 4.85% |
| 1981 | 43.5% | 4.79% |
| 1980 | 43.1% | 4.72% |
| 1979 | 42.7% | 4.66% |
| 1978 | 42.4% | 4.57% |
| 1977 | 42% | 4.37% |
| 1976 | 41.7% | 4.18% |
| 1975 | 41.3% | 4% |
| 1974 | 41% | 3.82% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | 3.65% |
| 1972 | 40.1% | 3.49% |
| 1971 | 39.4% | 3.34% |
| 1970 | 38.8% | 3.19% |
| 1969 | 38.2% | 3.13% |
| 1968 | 37.6% | 3.07% |
| 1967 | 37% | 3% |
| 1966 | 36.4% | 2.94% |
| 1965 | 35.8% | 2.88% |
| 1964 | 35.2% | 2.82% |
| 1963 | 34.6% | 2.77% |
| 1962 | 34.4% | 2.71% |
| 1961 | 34.3% | 2.65% |
| 1960 | 34.3% | 2.6% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 64.4% to 83.2% in Costa Rica and from 16.9% to 18.1% in Rwanda.
Densely populated cities
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