Costa Rica has a population density of 260.2 people per square mile compared to 741 people in the United Kingdom. Costa Rica has 107,389 sq ft of land per person vs 37,705 sq ft in the United Kingdom. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom are ranked 91st and 35th, 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 0.85% of the population and 0.16% of the land area for the United Kingdom, hence the population density in Costa Rica is 64.9% lower than in the United Kingdom.
Population density comparison
Costa Rica
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 741 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 91/197 | 35/197 |
| Population |
5170484
|
69945462
|
| Land area | 19,714 sq mi | 93,410 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 107,137 sq ft | 37,618 sq ft |
| Rural population | 16.8% | 15.1% |
| Urban population | 83.2% | 84.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 14.4% |
Costa Rica vs the United Kingdom:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Costa Rica increased by 22.1%, compared to a 15.4% growth in the United Kingdom.
In 2004, Costa Rica ranked 88th for population density and is in 91st place now. The United Kingdom was 35th in 2004 and still ranks 35th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2024 | 260.2 | 741 |
| 2023 | 259 | 733 |
| 2022 | 257.8 | 724 |
| 2021 | 256.7 | 717 |
| 2020 | 255.4 | 715 |
| 2019 | 253.6 | 713 |
| 2018 | 251.5 | 710 |
| 2017 | 249.2 | 706 |
| 2016 | 246.9 | 702 |
| 2015 | 244.4 | 697 |
| 2014 | 241.8 | 692 |
| 2013 | 239.2 | 687 |
| 2012 | 236.6 | 682 |
| 2011 | 233.8 | 677 |
| 2010 | 231.1 | 672 |
| 2009 | 228.2 | 667 |
| 2008 | 225.2 | 662 |
| 2007 | 222.2 | 656 |
| 2006 | 219.2 | 651 |
| 2005 | 216.1 | 647 |
| 2004 | 213 | 642 |
| 2003 | 209.9 | 639 |
| 2002 | 206.7 | 636 |
| 2001 | 203.4 | 633 |
| 2000 | 199.7 | 630 |
| 1999 | 195.9 | 628 |
| 1998 | 191.9 | 626 |
| 1997 | 187.8 | 624 |
| 1996 | 183.6 | 623 |
| 1995 | 179.3 | 621 |
| 1994 | 175.1 | 619 |
| 1993 | 170.8 | 618 |
| 1992 | 166.6 | 616 |
| 1991 | 162.4 | 615 |
| 1990 | 158.3 | 613 |
| 1989 | 154.4 | 611 |
| 1988 | 150.6 | 609 |
| 1987 | 146.7 | 608 |
| 1986 | 142.9 | 607 |
| 1985 | 139.1 | 605 |
| 1984 | 135.3 | 604 |
| 1983 | 131.6 | 603 |
| 1982 | 128.1 | 603 |
| 1981 | 124.6 | 603 |
| 1980 | 121.3 | 603 |
| 1979 | 118 | 602 |
| 1978 | 114.9 | 602 |
| 1977 | 111.8 | 602 |
| 1976 | 108.9 | 602 |
| 1975 | 106.2 | 602 |
| 1974 | 103.5 | 602 |
| 1973 | 100.9 | 602 |
| 1972 | 98.3 | 600 |
| 1971 | 95.8 | 598 |
| 1970 | 93.3 | 596 |
| 1969 | 90.8 | 594 |
| 1968 | 88.2 | 591 |
| 1967 | 85.7 | 588 |
| 1966 | 83.1 | 585 |
| 1965 | 80.5 | 582 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 578 |
| 1963 | 75.2 | 574 |
| 1962 | 72.5 | 570 |
| 1961 | 69.9 | 565 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2024 | 83.2% | 84.9% |
| 2023 | 82.6% | 84.6% |
| 2022 | 82% | 84.4% |
| 2021 | 81.4% | 84.2% |
| 2020 | 80.8% | 83.9% |
| 2019 | 80.1% | 83.7% |
| 2018 | 79.3% | 83.4% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | 83.1% |
| 2016 | 77.7% | 82.9% |
| 2015 | 76.9% | 82.6% |
| 2014 | 75.9% | 82.4% |
| 2013 | 75% | 82.1% |
| 2012 | 73.9% | 81.8% |
| 2011 | 72.9% | 81.6% |
| 2010 | 71.7% | 81.3% |
| 2009 | 70.6% | 81% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | 80.8% |
| 2007 | 68.2% | 80.5% |
| 2006 | 66.9% | 80.2% |
| 2005 | 65.7% | 79.9% |
| 2004 | 64.4% | 79.6% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | 79.3% |
| 2002 | 61.8% | 79% |
| 2001 | 60.4% | 78.8% |
| 2000 | 59.1% | 78.7% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | 78.6% |
| 1998 | 57.3% | 78.5% |
| 1997 | 56.4% | 78.5% |
| 1996 | 55.5% | 78.4% |
| 1995 | 54.6% | 78.4% |
| 1994 | 53.7% | 78.3% |
| 1993 | 52.7% | 78.2% |
| 1992 | 51.8% | 78.2% |
| 1991 | 50.9% | 78.1% |
| 1990 | 50% | 78.1% |
| 1989 | 49.1% | 78.2% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | 78.2% |
| 1987 | 47.3% | 78.3% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | 78.3% |
| 1985 | 45.4% | 78.4% |
| 1984 | 44.5% | 78.4% |
| 1983 | 44.2% | 78.5% |
| 1982 | 43.8% | 78.5% |
| 1981 | 43.5% | 78.6% |
| 1980 | 43.1% | 78.5% |
| 1979 | 42.7% | 78.3% |
| 1978 | 42.4% | 78.2% |
| 1977 | 42% | 78% |
| 1976 | 41.7% | 77.8% |
| 1975 | 41.3% | 77.7% |
| 1974 | 41% | 77.5% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | 77.4% |
| 1972 | 40.1% | 77.2% |
| 1971 | 39.4% | 77% |
| 1970 | 38.8% | 77.1% |
| 1969 | 38.2% | 77.3% |
| 1968 | 37.6% | 77.4% |
| 1967 | 37% | 77.5% |
| 1966 | 36.4% | 77.7% |
| 1965 | 35.8% | 77.8% |
| 1964 | 35.2% | 78% |
| 1963 | 34.6% | 78.1% |
| 1962 | 34.4% | 78.2% |
| 1961 | 34.3% | 78.4% |
| 1960 | 34.3% | 78.4% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 64.4% to 83.2% in Costa Rica and from 79.6% to 84.9% in the United Kingdom.
Densely populated cities
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| San Jose | 342K |
| Limon | 71.5K |
| Liberia | 65.9K |
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| London | 8.8M |
| Birmingham | 1.14M |
| Glasgow | 626K |
| Manchester | 548K |
| Leeds | 536K |
| Sheffield | 518K |
| Liverpool | 513K |
| Edinburgh | 488K |
| Bristol | 472K |
| Leicester | 464K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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