Costa Rica has a population density of 260.2 people per square mile compared to 96.3 people in the United States. Costa Rica has 107,389 sq ft of land per person vs 310,997 sq ft in the United States. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Costa Rica and the United States are ranked 91st and 149th, 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 4.18% of the population and 6.14% of the land area for the United States, hence the population density in Costa Rica is 170.2% higher than in the United States.
Population density comparison
Costa Rica
|
United States
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 96.3 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 91/197 | 149/197 |
| Population |
5170484
|
343323530
|
| Land area | 19,714 sq mi | 3,531,839 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 107,137 sq ft | 289,500 sq ft |
| Rural population | 16.8% | 16.5% |
| Urban population | 83.2% | 83.5% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 7.68% |
Costa Rica vs the United States:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Costa Rica increased by 22.1%, compared to a 16.3% growth in the United States.
In 2004, Costa Rica ranked 88th for population density and is in 91st place now. The United States was 145th in 2004 and ranks 149th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
United States
|
|
| 2024 | 260.2 | 96.3 |
| 2023 | 259 | 94.8 |
| 2022 | 257.8 | 94.4 |
| 2021 | 256.7 | 94 |
| 2020 | 255.4 | 93.9 |
| 2019 | 253.6 | 93 |
| 2018 | 251.5 | 92.5 |
| 2017 | 249.2 | 92.1 |
| 2016 | 246.9 | 91.5 |
| 2015 | 244.4 | 90.8 |
| 2014 | 241.8 | 90.1 |
| 2013 | 239.2 | 89.5 |
| 2012 | 236.6 | 88.9 |
| 2011 | 233.8 | 88.2 |
| 2010 | 231.1 | 87.6 |
| 2009 | 228.2 | 86.9 |
| 2008 | 225.2 | 86.1 |
| 2007 | 222.2 | 85.2 |
| 2006 | 219.2 | 84.3 |
| 2005 | 216.1 | 83.5 |
| 2004 | 213 | 82.8 |
| 2003 | 209.9 | 82 |
| 2002 | 206.7 | 81.3 |
| 2001 | 203.4 | 80.6 |
| 2000 | 199.7 | 79.8 |
| 1999 | 195.9 | 79 |
| 1998 | 191.9 | 78.1 |
| 1997 | 187.8 | 77.2 |
| 1996 | 183.6 | 76.3 |
| 1995 | 179.3 | 75.4 |
| 1994 | 175.1 | 74.5 |
| 1993 | 170.8 | 73.6 |
| 1992 | 166.6 | 72.6 |
| 1991 | 162.4 | 71.7 |
| 1990 | 158.3 | 70.7 |
| 1989 | 154.4 | 69.8 |
| 1988 | 150.6 | 69.1 |
| 1987 | 146.7 | 68.5 |
| 1986 | 142.9 | 67.9 |
| 1985 | 139.1 | 67.3 |
| 1984 | 135.3 | 66.7 |
| 1983 | 131.6 | 66.1 |
| 1982 | 128.1 | 65.5 |
| 1981 | 124.6 | 64.9 |
| 1980 | 121.3 | 64.1 |
| 1979 | 118 | 63.6 |
| 1978 | 114.9 | 62.9 |
| 1977 | 111.8 | 62.3 |
| 1976 | 108.9 | 61.7 |
| 1975 | 106.2 | 61.1 |
| 1974 | 103.5 | 60.5 |
| 1973 | 100.9 | 59.9 |
| 1972 | 98.3 | 59.4 |
| 1971 | 95.8 | 58.7 |
| 1970 | 93.3 | 58 |
| 1969 | 90.8 | 57.3 |
| 1968 | 88.2 | 56.8 |
| 1967 | 85.7 | 56.2 |
| 1966 | 83.1 | 55.6 |
| 1965 | 80.5 | 54.9 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 54.3 |
| 1963 | 75.2 | 53.5 |
| 1962 | 72.5 | 52.7 |
| 1961 | 69.9 | 51.9 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
United States
|
|
| 2024 | 83.2% | 83.5% |
| 2023 | 82.6% | 83.3% |
| 2022 | 82% | 83.1% |
| 2021 | 81.4% | 82.9% |
| 2020 | 80.8% | 82.7% |
| 2019 | 80.1% | 82.5% |
| 2018 | 79.3% | 82.3% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | 82.1% |
| 2016 | 77.7% | 81.9% |
| 2015 | 76.9% | 81.7% |
| 2014 | 75.9% | 81.5% |
| 2013 | 75% | 81.3% |
| 2012 | 73.9% | 81.1% |
| 2011 | 72.9% | 80.9% |
| 2010 | 71.7% | 80.8% |
| 2009 | 70.6% | 80.6% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | 80.4% |
| 2007 | 68.2% | 80.3% |
| 2006 | 66.9% | 80.1% |
| 2005 | 65.7% | 79.9% |
| 2004 | 64.4% | 79.8% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | 79.6% |
| 2002 | 61.8% | 79.4% |
| 2001 | 60.4% | 79.2% |
| 2000 | 59.1% | 79.1% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | 78.7% |
| 1998 | 57.3% | 78.4% |
| 1997 | 56.4% | 78% |
| 1996 | 55.5% | 77.6% |
| 1995 | 54.6% | 77.3% |
| 1994 | 53.7% | 76.9% |
| 1993 | 52.7% | 76.5% |
| 1992 | 51.8% | 76.1% |
| 1991 | 50.9% | 75.7% |
| 1990 | 50% | 75.3% |
| 1989 | 49.1% | 75.1% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | 74.9% |
| 1987 | 47.3% | 74.8% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | 74.6% |
| 1985 | 45.4% | 74.5% |
| 1984 | 44.5% | 74.3% |
| 1983 | 44.2% | 74.2% |
| 1982 | 43.8% | 74% |
| 1981 | 43.5% | 73.9% |
| 1980 | 43.1% | 73.7% |
| 1979 | 42.7% | 73.7% |
| 1978 | 42.4% | 73.7% |
| 1977 | 42% | 73.7% |
| 1976 | 41.7% | 73.7% |
| 1975 | 41.3% | 73.7% |
| 1974 | 41% | 73.6% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | 73.6% |
| 1972 | 40.1% | 73.6% |
| 1971 | 39.4% | 73.6% |
| 1970 | 38.8% | 73.6% |
| 1969 | 38.2% | 73.3% |
| 1968 | 37.6% | 73% |
| 1967 | 37% | 72.6% |
| 1966 | 36.4% | 72.2% |
| 1965 | 35.8% | 71.9% |
| 1964 | 35.2% | 71.5% |
| 1963 | 34.6% | 71.1% |
| 1962 | 34.4% | 70.8% |
| 1961 | 34.3% | 70.4% |
| 1960 | 34.3% | 70% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 64.4% to 83.2% in Costa Rica and from 79.8% to 83.5% in the United States.
Densely populated cities
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| San Jose | 342K |
| Limon | 71.5K |
| Liberia | 65.9K |
|
United States
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| New York | 8.8M |
| Los Angeles | 3.9M |
| Chicago | 2.75M |
| Houston | 2.3M |
| Phoenix | 1.61M |
| Philadelphia | 1.6M |
| San Antonio | 1.43M |
| San Diego | 1.39M |
| Dallas | 1.3M |
| San Jose | 1.01M |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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