Costa Rica has a population density of 262.6 people per square mile compared to 5,493 people in the Vatican. Costa Rica has 107,389 sq ft of land per person vs 5,274 sq ft in the Vatican. Costa Rica and the Vatican rank 93rd and 3rd by population density, 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 all countries' land area, compared to 0.00001% of the population and 0.0000003% of the land area for the Vatican, making the population density in Costa Rica 95.2% lower than in the Vatican.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Costa Rica
|
Vatican
|
|
| 2026 | 262.6 | 5,493 |
| 2025 | 261.4 | 5,460 |
| 2024 | 260.2 | 5,362 |
| 2023 | 259 | 5,460 |
| 2022 | 257.8 | 5,602 |
| 2021 | 256.7 | 5,723 |
| 2020 | 255.4 | 5,810 |
| 2019 | 253.6 | 5,886 |
| 2018 | 251.5 | - |
| 2017 | 249.2 | 5,886 |
| 2016 | 246.9 | - |
| 2015 | 244.4 | 5,886 |
| 2014 | 241.8 | 4,956 |
| 2013 | 239.2 | 4,939 |
| 2012 | 236.6 | 4,921 |
| 2011 | 233.8 | 4,897 |
| 2010 | 231.1 | 4,880 |
| 2009 | 228.2 | 4,862 |
| 2008 | 225.2 | 4,850 |
| 2007 | 222.2 | 4,833 |
| 2006 | 219.2 | 5,486 |
| 2005 | 216.1 | 5,421 |
| 2004 | 213 | 5,421 |
| 2003 | 209.9 | 5,362 |
| 2002 | 206.7 | 5,298 |
| 2001 | 203.4 | 5,239 |
| 2000 | 199.7 | 5,180 |
| 1999 | 195.9 | 5,180 |
| 1998 | 191.9 | 5,195 |
| 1997 | 187.8 | 5,217 |
| 1996 | 183.6 | 5,254 |
| 1995 | 179.3 | 5,306 |
| 1994 | 175.1 | 5,373 |
| 1993 | 170.8 | 5,388 |
| 1992 | 166.6 | 5,388 |
| 1991 | 162.4 | 5,395 |
| 1990 | 158.3 | 5,403 |
| 1989 | 154.4 | 5,418 |
| 1988 | 150.6 | 5,433 |
| 1987 | 146.7 | 5,418 |
| 1986 | 142.9 | 5,455 |
| 1985 | 139.1 | 5,462 |
| 1984 | 135.3 | 5,492 |
| 1983 | 131.6 | 5,507 |
| 1982 | 128.1 | 5,522 |
| 1981 | 124.6 | 5,522 |
| 1980 | 121.3 | 5,500 |
| 1979 | 118 | 5,492 |
| 1978 | 114.9 | 5,470 |
| 1977 | 111.8 | 5,448 |
| 1976 | 108.9 | 5,448 |
| 1975 | 106.2 | 5,448 |
| 1974 | 103.5 | 5,470 |
| 1973 | 100.9 | 5,477 |
| 1972 | 98.3 | 5,507 |
| 1971 | 95.8 | 5,559 |
| 1970 | 93.3 | 5,633 |
| 1969 | 90.8 | 5,797 |
| 1968 | 88.2 | 6,176 |
| 1967 | 85.7 | 6,317 |
| 1966 | 83.1 | 6,867 |
| 1965 | 80.5 | 6,830 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 6,815 |
| 1963 | 75.2 | 6,815 |
| 1962 | 72.5 | 6,808 |
| 1961 | 69.9 | 6,837 |
| 1960 | - | 6,837 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/costa-rica/vatican | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Costa Rica increased by 19.8%, compared to a 0.13% growth in the Vatican.
In 2006, Costa Rica ranked 88th by population density and is 93rd now. The Vatican was 3rd in 2006 and still ranks 3rd out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Costa Rica
|
Vatican
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 262.6 ppl/mi² | 5,493 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 93/197 | 3/197 |
| Population |
5181862
|
936
|
| Land area | 19,714 sq mi | 0.17 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 107,137 sq ft | 4,736 sq ft |
| Rural population | 20.7% | n/a |
| Urban population | 79.3% | n/a |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Densely populated cities
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| San Jose | 335K |
| Limon | 71.5K |
| Liberia | 65.9K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/costa-rica/vatican | CC BY
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- Wikidata (2019–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
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