The latest officially reported population of Costa Rica was 5,129,910 in 2024 vs 123,975,371 people in Japan in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current Costa Rica's population is 5,170,484 people compared to 123,324,642 in Japan.
Population statistics:
- Japan's population is 23.9 times bigger than Costa Rica's.
- Costa Rica is ranked the 126th most populous country in the world, while Japan is the 12th.
- The countries together account for 1.55% of the world: 0.06% for Costa Rica vs 1.49% for Japan.
- For the last 10 years, Costa Rica has had an average growth rate of +0.77% per year vs -0.25% in Japan.
- Since 2005, the population of Costa Rica has increased from 4.26M people to 5.17M (21.3% growth), while Japan has declined from 128M to 123M (3.48% decline).
- Costa Rica is projected to reach its peak in 2044 at 5.38M people, while Japan's population already peaked in 2010 at 128M people and is projected to decrease to 77M people by 2100.
Costa Rica vs Japan: live population counter
Costa Rica
|
Japan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Current population |
5170484
|
123324642
|
| Population rank | 126/197 | 12/197 |
| Percent of world population | 0.06% | 1.49% |
| One net population change |
21.6 minutes
|
58.3 seconds
|
| One birth every |
10.1 minutes
|
42.2 seconds
|
| One death every |
18.9 minutes
|
19.5 seconds
|
| One migration net change every |
9.06 hours
|
3.43 minutes
|
| Annual migration change | +967 | +153,357 |
| Daily growth/decline | +67 | -1,483 |
| Annual growth/decline | +24,385 | -541,279 |
| Annual growth/decline rate | +0.48% | -0.43% |
| Population growth rate rank | 138/197 | 182/197 |
Costa Rica and Japan: population history and growth rate by year chart
Costa Rica
Population
Growth rate
Japan
Population
Growth rate
| Year | Population | Growth rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
Japan
|
Costa Rica
|
Japan
|
|
| 1960 | 1,327,496 | 93,216,000 | - | - |
| 1961 | 1,377,920 | 94,055,000 | 3.8% | 0.9% |
| 1962 | 1,429,445 | 94,933,000 | 3.74% | 0.93% |
| 1963 | 1,481,604 | 95,900,000 | 3.65% | 1.02% |
| 1964 | 1,533,960 | 96,903,000 | 3.53% | 1.05% |
| 1965 | 1,586,208 | 97,952,000 | 3.41% | 1.08% |
| 1966 | 1,638,116 | 98,851,000 | 3.27% | 0.92% |
| 1967 | 1,689,523 | 99,879,000 | 3.14% | 1.04% |
| 1968 | 1,739,731 | 101,011,000 | 2.97% | 1.13% |
| 1969 | 1,789,276 | 102,219,000 | 2.85% | 1.2% |
| 1970 | 1,838,949 | 103,403,000 | 2.78% | 1.16% |
| 1971 | 1,888,539 | 105,697,000 | 2.7% | 2.22% |
| 1972 | 1,938,248 | 107,188,000 | 2.63% | 1.41% |
| 1973 | 1,988,343 | 108,707,000 | 2.58% | 1.42% |
| 1974 | 2,039,643 | 110,162,000 | 2.58% | 1.34% |
| 1975 | 2,092,719 | 111,573,000 | 2.6% | 1.28% |
| 1976 | 2,147,774 | 112,775,000 | 2.63% | 1.08% |
| 1977 | 2,205,025 | 113,872,000 | 2.67% | 0.97% |
| 1978 | 2,264,510 | 114,913,000 | 2.7% | 0.91% |
| 1979 | 2,326,490 | 115,890,000 | 2.74% | 0.85% |
| 1980 | 2,390,633 | 116,807,000 | 2.76% | 0.79% |
| 1981 | 2,456,637 | 117,661,000 | 2.76% | 0.73% |
| 1982 | 2,524,806 | 118,480,000 | 2.77% | 0.7% |
| 1983 | 2,595,153 | 119,307,000 | 2.79% | 0.7% |
| 1984 | 2,667,595 | 120,083,000 | 2.79% | 0.65% |
| 1985 | 2,741,894 | 120,837,000 | 2.79% | 0.63% |
| 1986 | 2,817,216 | 121,482,000 | 2.75% | 0.53% |
| 1987 | 2,892,699 | 122,069,000 | 2.68% | 0.48% |
| 1988 | 2,968,103 | 122,578,000 | 2.61% | 0.42% |
| 1989 | 3,043,827 | 123,069,000 | 2.55% | 0.4% |
| 1990 | 3,121,706 | 123,478,000 | 2.56% | 0.33% |
| 1991 | 3,202,176 | 123,964,000 | 2.58% | 0.39% |
| 1992 | 3,284,258 | 124,425,000 | 2.56% | 0.37% |
| 1993 | 3,367,434 | 124,829,000 | 2.53% | 0.32% |
| 1994 | 3,451,122 | 125,178,000 | 2.49% | 0.28% |
| 1995 | 3,535,176 | 125,472,000 | 2.44% | 0.23% |
| 1996 | 3,619,013 | 125,757,000 | 2.37% | 0.23% |
| 1997 | 3,701,711 | 126,057,000 | 2.29% | 0.24% |
| 1998 | 3,782,838 | 126,400,000 | 2.19% | 0.27% |
| 1999 | 3,862,101 | 126,631,000 | 2.1% | 0.18% |
| 2000 | 3,937,739 | 126,843,000 | 1.96% | 0.17% |
| 2001 | 4,008,947 | 127,149,000 | 1.81% | 0.24% |
| 2002 | 4,075,705 | 127,445,000 | 1.67% | 0.23% |
| 2003 | 4,138,784 | 127,718,000 | 1.55% | 0.21% |
| 2004 | 4,200,078 | 127,761,000 | 1.48% | 0.03% |
| 2005 | 4,261,240 | 127,773,000 | 1.46% | 0.009% |
| 2006 | 4,321,340 | 127,854,000 | 1.41% | 0.06% |
| 2007 | 4,380,248 | 128,001,000 | 1.36% | 0.11% |
| 2008 | 4,440,056 | 128,063,000 | 1.37% | 0.05% |
| 2009 | 4,499,791 | 128,047,000 | 1.35% | -0.01% |
| 2010 | 4,555,962 | 128,070,000 | 1.25% | 0.02% |
| 2011 | 4,609,833 | 127,833,000 | 1.18% | -0.19% |
| 2012 | 4,663,934 | 127,629,000 | 1.17% | -0.16% |
| 2013 | 4,716,147 | 127,445,000 | 1.12% | -0.14% |
| 2014 | 4,767,119 | 127,276,000 | 1.08% | -0.13% |
| 2015 | 4,818,038 | 127,141,000 | 1.07% | -0.11% |
| 2016 | 4,866,998 | 127,076,000 | 1.02% | -0.05% |
| 2017 | 4,913,177 | 126,972,000 | 0.95% | -0.08% |
| 2018 | 4,957,818 | 126,811,000 | 0.91% | -0.13% |
| 2019 | 4,999,553 | 126,633,000 | 0.84% | -0.14% |
| 2020 | 5,034,320 | 126,261,000 | 0.7% | -0.29% |
| 2021 | 5,059,988 | 125,681,593 | 0.51% | -0.46% |
| 2022 | 5,081,765 | 125,124,989 | 0.43% | -0.44% |
| 2023 | 5,105,525 | 124,516,650 | 0.47% | -0.49% |
| 2024 | 5,129,910 | 123,975,371 | 0.48% | -0.43% |
| 2025 | 5,152,946 | 123,324,642 | 0.45% | -0.52% |
| 2026 | 5,174,780 | 122,647,678 | 0.42% | -0.55% |
| 2027 | 5,195,555 | 121,951,038 | 0.4% | -0.57% |
| 2028 | 5,215,247 | 121,241,776 | 0.38% | -0.58% |
| 2029 | 5,233,877 | 120,524,230 | 0.36% | -0.59% |
| 2030 | 5,251,495 | 119,798,959 | 0.34% | -0.6% |
| 2031 | 5,268,137 | 119,065,610 | 0.32% | -0.61% |
| 2032 | 5,283,807 | 118,326,333 | 0.3% | -0.62% |
| 2033 | 5,298,514 | 117,583,337 | 0.28% | -0.63% |
| 2034 | 5,312,162 | 116,836,274 | 0.26% | -0.64% |
| 2035 | 5,324,698 | 116,084,328 | 0.24% | -0.64% |
| 2036 | 5,336,133 | 115,332,395 | 0.21% | -0.65% |
| 2037 | 5,346,408 | 114,582,890 | 0.19% | -0.65% |
| 2038 | 5,355,519 | 113,837,760 | 0.17% | -0.65% |
| 2039 | 5,363,363 | 113,097,352 | 0.15% | -0.65% |
| 2040 | 5,369,806 | 112,359,802 | 0.12% | -0.65% |
| 2041 | 5,374,934 | 111,622,622 | 0.1% | -0.66% |
| 2042 | 5,378,670 | 110,891,223 | 0.07% | -0.66% |
| 2043 | 5,380,915 | 110,169,955 | 0.04% | -0.65% |
| 2044 | 5,381,720 | 109,455,823 | 0.01% | -0.65% |
| 2045 | 5,381,014 | 108,747,012 | -0.01% | -0.65% |
| 2046 | 5,378,757 | 108,044,346 | -0.04% | -0.65% |
| 2047 | 5,374,945 | 107,350,486 | -0.07% | -0.64% |
| 2048 | 5,369,577 | 106,665,616 | -0.1% | -0.64% |
| 2049 | 5,362,651 | 105,986,908 | -0.13% | -0.64% |
| 2050 | 5,354,148 | 105,312,022 | -0.16% | -0.64% |
From 2005 to 2015, the population of Costa Rica increased by 556,798 people (a 13.1% growth), while Japan lost 632,000 people (a 0.49% decline).
For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, Costa Rica gained 352,446 (a 7.32% growth), while Japan's population decreased by -3,816,358 (a 3% decline).
Costa Rica was ranked 120th most populous country in 2005 and is 126th in 2025. Japan was ranked 10th in 2005 and ranked 12th now.
The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 25 years (in 2050) Costa Rica's population will grow by 3.55% to 5,354,148 people with a rank change from 126th to 127th. The population of Japan will decrease by 14.6% to 105,312,022 people and rank change from 12th to 17th.
Biggest cities by population
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| San Jose | 342K |
| Limon | 71.5K |
| Liberia | 65.9K |
| Alajuela | 44.4K |
| Puntarenas | 41.5K |
| Cartago | 22.8K |
| Heredia | 16.7K |
| Tamarindo | 7.13K |
| Santa Teresa | 3K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population differences between Costa Rica and Japan
|
Costa Rica
|
Japan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 81.2 years | 85 years |
| Average age | 37 years | 48.3 years |
| Median age | 35.6 years | 50.4 years |
| Male:Female ratio | 49.4:50.6 | 48.8:51.2 |
| Fertility rate | 1.33 births per woman | 1.2 births per woman |
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 881 ppl/mi² |
Population map with other countries
Population
Growth rate visualization in other countries
Growth rate
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