Costa Rica has a population density of 260.2 people per square mile compared to 1,373 people in South Korea. Costa Rica has 107,389 sq ft of land per person vs 20,861 sq ft in South Korea. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Costa Rica and South Korea are ranked 91st and 18th, 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 0.64% of the population and 0.07% of the land area for South Korea, hence the population density in Costa Rica is 81.1% lower than in South Korea.
Population density comparison
Costa Rica
|
South Korea
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 1,373 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 91/197 | 18/197 |
| Population |
5170484
|
51700480
|
| Land area | 19,714 sq mi | 37,684 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 107,137 sq ft | 20,300 sq ft |
| Rural population | 16.8% | 18.5% |
| Urban population | 83.2% | 81.5% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 52% |
Costa Rica vs South Korea:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Costa Rica increased by 22.1%, compared to a 6.77% growth in South Korea.
In 2004, Costa Rica ranked 88th for population density and is in 91st place now. South Korea was 13th in 2004 and ranks 18th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
South Korea
|
|
| 2024 | 260.2 | 1,373 |
| 2023 | 259 | 1,372 |
| 2022 | 257.8 | 1,371 |
| 2021 | 256.7 | 1,374 |
| 2020 | 255.4 | 1,376 |
| 2019 | 253.6 | 1,374 |
| 2018 | 251.5 | 1,370 |
| 2017 | 249.2 | 1,364 |
| 2016 | 246.9 | 1,361 |
| 2015 | 244.4 | 1,356 |
| 2014 | 241.8 | 1,349 |
| 2013 | 239.2 | 1,341 |
| 2012 | 236.6 | 1,336 |
| 2011 | 233.8 | 1,331 |
| 2010 | 231.1 | 1,320 |
| 2009 | 228.2 | 1,316 |
| 2008 | 225.2 | 1,310 |
| 2007 | 222.2 | 1,301 |
| 2006 | 219.2 | 1,295 |
| 2005 | 216.1 | 1,289 |
| 2004 | 213 | 1,286 |
| 2003 | 209.9 | 1,281 |
| 2002 | 206.7 | 1,275 |
| 2001 | 203.4 | 1,268 |
| 2000 | 199.7 | 1,262 |
| 1999 | 195.9 | 1,252 |
| 1998 | 191.9 | 1,243 |
| 1997 | 187.8 | 1,234 |
| 1996 | 183.6 | 1,222 |
| 1995 | 179.3 | 1,211 |
| 1994 | 175.1 | 1,199 |
| 1993 | 170.8 | 1,187 |
| 1992 | 166.6 | 1,175 |
| 1991 | 162.4 | 1,163 |
| 1990 | 158.3 | 1,151 |
| 1989 | 154.4 | 1,140 |
| 1988 | 150.6 | 1,129 |
| 1987 | 146.7 | 1,118 |
| 1986 | 142.9 | 1,107 |
| 1985 | 139.1 | 1,096 |
| 1984 | 135.3 | 1,085 |
| 1983 | 131.6 | 1,072 |
| 1982 | 128.1 | 1,056 |
| 1981 | 124.6 | 1,040 |
| 1980 | 121.3 | 1,024 |
| 1979 | 118 | 1,008 |
| 1978 | 114.9 | 993 |
| 1977 | 111.8 | 978 |
| 1976 | 108.9 | 963 |
| 1975 | 106.2 | 947 |
| 1974 | 103.5 | 932 |
| 1973 | 100.9 | 916 |
| 1972 | 98.3 | 900 |
| 1971 | 95.8 | 883 |
| 1970 | 93.3 | 866 |
| 1969 | 90.8 | 847 |
| 1968 | 88.2 | 828 |
| 1967 | 85.7 | 809 |
| 1966 | 83.1 | 790 |
| 1965 | 80.5 | 771 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 751 |
| 1963 | 75.2 | 732 |
| 1962 | 72.5 | 712 |
| 1961 | 69.9 | 692 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
South Korea
|
|
| 2024 | 83.2% | 81.5% |
| 2023 | 82.6% | 81.5% |
| 2022 | 82% | 81.4% |
| 2021 | 81.4% | 81.4% |
| 2020 | 80.8% | 81.4% |
| 2019 | 80.1% | 81.4% |
| 2018 | 79.3% | 81.5% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | 81.5% |
| 2016 | 77.7% | 81.6% |
| 2015 | 76.9% | 81.6% |
| 2014 | 75.9% | 81.7% |
| 2013 | 75% | 81.8% |
| 2012 | 73.9% | 81.9% |
| 2011 | 72.9% | 81.9% |
| 2010 | 71.7% | 81.9% |
| 2009 | 70.6% | 81.8% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | 81.7% |
| 2007 | 68.2% | 81.6% |
| 2006 | 66.9% | 81.5% |
| 2005 | 65.7% | 81.3% |
| 2004 | 64.4% | 81% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | 80.7% |
| 2002 | 61.8% | 80.3% |
| 2001 | 60.4% | 79.9% |
| 2000 | 59.1% | 79.6% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | 79.4% |
| 1998 | 57.3% | 79.1% |
| 1997 | 56.4% | 78.9% |
| 1996 | 55.5% | 78.7% |
| 1995 | 54.6% | 78.2% |
| 1994 | 53.7% | 77.5% |
| 1993 | 52.7% | 76.6% |
| 1992 | 51.8% | 75.8% |
| 1991 | 50.9% | 75% |
| 1990 | 50% | 73.8% |
| 1989 | 49.1% | 72.1% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | 70.4% |
| 1987 | 47.3% | 68.6% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | 66.7% |
| 1985 | 45.4% | 64.9% |
| 1984 | 44.5% | 63.3% |
| 1983 | 44.2% | 61.7% |
| 1982 | 43.8% | 60.1% |
| 1981 | 43.5% | 58.4% |
| 1980 | 43.1% | 56.7% |
| 1979 | 42.7% | 55% |
| 1978 | 42.4% | 53.2% |
| 1977 | 42% | 51.5% |
| 1976 | 41.7% | 49.7% |
| 1975 | 41.3% | 48% |
| 1974 | 41% | 46.6% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | 45.1% |
| 1972 | 40.1% | 43.7% |
| 1971 | 39.4% | 42.3% |
| 1970 | 38.8% | 40.7% |
| 1969 | 38.2% | 38.8% |
| 1968 | 37.6% | 36.8% |
| 1967 | 37% | 35% |
| 1966 | 36.4% | 33.3% |
| 1965 | 35.8% | 32.4% |
| 1964 | 35.2% | 31.4% |
| 1963 | 34.6% | 30.4% |
| 1962 | 34.4% | 29.5% |
| 1961 | 34.3% | 28.5% |
| 1960 | 34.3% | 27.7% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 64.4% to 83.2% in Costa Rica and from 81% to 81.5% in South Korea.
Densely populated cities
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
Relevant pages:
By topic
vs
comparisons:
Population density comparisons
