The latest officially reported population of Costa Rica was 5,129,910 in 2024 vs 17,993,485 people in the Netherlands in 2024. In 2026, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current Costa Rica's population is 5,175,007 people compared to 18,211,637 in the Netherlands.
Population statistics:
- The Netherlands' population is 3.52 times bigger than Costa Rica's.
- Costa Rica is ranked the 126th most populous country in the world, while the Netherlands is the 72nd.
- The countries together account for 0.28% of the world: 0.06% for Costa Rica vs 0.22% for the Netherlands.
- For the last 10 years, Costa Rica has had an average growth rate of +0.77% per year vs +0.62% in the Netherlands.
- Since 2006, the population of Costa Rica has increased from 4.32M people to 5.18M (19.8% growth), while the Netherlands has grown from 16.3M to 18.2M (11.4% growth).
- Costa Rica is projected to reach its peak in 2044 at 5.38M people compared to the peak of 18.8M people in 2041 for the Netherlands.
Costa Rica vs Netherlands: live population counter
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Current population |
5175007
|
18211637
|
| Population rank | 126/197 | 72/197 |
| Percent of world population | 0.06% | 0.22% |
| One net population change |
21.6 minutes
|
4.52 minutes
|
| One birth every |
10.1 minutes
|
3.2 minutes
|
| One death every |
18.9 minutes
|
3.09 minutes
|
| One migration net change every |
9.06 hours
|
4.32 minutes
|
| Annual migration change | +967 | +121,628 |
| Daily growth/decline | +67 | +319 |
| Annual growth/decline | +24,385 | +116,368 |
| Annual growth/decline rate | +0.48% | +0.65% |
| Population growth rate rank | 138/197 | 122/197 |
Costa Rica and the Netherlands: population history and growth rate by year chart
| Year | Population | Growth rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1960 | 1,327,496 | 11,486,631 | - | - |
| 1961 | 1,377,920 | 11,638,712 | 3.8% | 1.32% |
| 1962 | 1,429,445 | 11,805,689 | 3.74% | 1.43% |
| 1963 | 1,481,604 | 11,965,966 | 3.65% | 1.36% |
| 1964 | 1,533,960 | 12,127,120 | 3.53% | 1.35% |
| 1965 | 1,586,208 | 12,294,732 | 3.41% | 1.38% |
| 1966 | 1,638,116 | 12,456,251 | 3.27% | 1.31% |
| 1967 | 1,689,523 | 12,598,201 | 3.14% | 1.14% |
| 1968 | 1,739,731 | 12,729,721 | 2.97% | 1.04% |
| 1969 | 1,789,276 | 12,877,984 | 2.85% | 1.16% |
| 1970 | 1,838,949 | 13,038,526 | 2.78% | 1.25% |
| 1971 | 1,888,539 | 13,194,497 | 2.7% | 1.2% |
| 1972 | 1,938,248 | 13,328,593 | 2.63% | 1.02% |
| 1973 | 1,988,343 | 13,439,322 | 2.58% | 0.83% |
| 1974 | 2,039,643 | 13,545,056 | 2.58% | 0.79% |
| 1975 | 2,092,719 | 13,666,335 | 2.6% | 0.9% |
| 1976 | 2,147,774 | 13,774,037 | 2.63% | 0.79% |
| 1977 | 2,205,025 | 13,856,185 | 2.67% | 0.6% |
| 1978 | 2,264,510 | 13,941,700 | 2.7% | 0.62% |
| 1979 | 2,326,490 | 14,038,270 | 2.74% | 0.69% |
| 1980 | 2,390,633 | 14,149,800 | 2.76% | 0.79% |
| 1981 | 2,456,637 | 14,247,208 | 2.76% | 0.69% |
| 1982 | 2,524,806 | 14,312,690 | 2.77% | 0.46% |
| 1983 | 2,595,153 | 14,367,070 | 2.79% | 0.38% |
| 1984 | 2,667,595 | 14,424,211 | 2.79% | 0.4% |
| 1985 | 2,741,894 | 14,491,632 | 2.79% | 0.47% |
| 1986 | 2,817,216 | 14,572,278 | 2.75% | 0.56% |
| 1987 | 2,892,699 | 14,665,037 | 2.68% | 0.64% |
| 1988 | 2,968,103 | 14,760,094 | 2.61% | 0.65% |
| 1989 | 3,043,827 | 14,848,907 | 2.55% | 0.6% |
| 1990 | 3,121,706 | 14,951,510 | 2.56% | 0.69% |
| 1991 | 3,202,176 | 15,069,798 | 2.58% | 0.79% |
| 1992 | 3,284,258 | 15,184,166 | 2.56% | 0.76% |
| 1993 | 3,367,434 | 15,290,368 | 2.53% | 0.7% |
| 1994 | 3,451,122 | 15,382,838 | 2.49% | 0.6% |
| 1995 | 3,535,176 | 15,459,006 | 2.44% | 0.5% |
| 1996 | 3,619,013 | 15,530,498 | 2.37% | 0.46% |
| 1997 | 3,701,711 | 15,610,650 | 2.29% | 0.52% |
| 1998 | 3,782,838 | 15,707,209 | 2.19% | 0.62% |
| 1999 | 3,862,101 | 15,812,088 | 2.1% | 0.67% |
| 2000 | 3,937,739 | 15,925,513 | 1.96% | 0.72% |
| 2001 | 4,008,947 | 16,046,180 | 1.81% | 0.76% |
| 2002 | 4,075,705 | 16,148,929 | 1.67% | 0.64% |
| 2003 | 4,138,784 | 16,225,302 | 1.55% | 0.47% |
| 2004 | 4,200,078 | 16,281,779 | 1.48% | 0.35% |
| 2005 | 4,261,240 | 16,319,868 | 1.46% | 0.23% |
| 2006 | 4,321,340 | 16,346,101 | 1.41% | 0.16% |
| 2007 | 4,380,248 | 16,381,696 | 1.36% | 0.22% |
| 2008 | 4,440,056 | 16,445,593 | 1.37% | 0.39% |
| 2009 | 4,499,791 | 16,530,388 | 1.35% | 0.52% |
| 2010 | 4,555,962 | 16,615,394 | 1.25% | 0.51% |
| 2011 | 4,609,833 | 16,693,074 | 1.18% | 0.47% |
| 2012 | 4,663,934 | 16,754,962 | 1.17% | 0.37% |
| 2013 | 4,716,147 | 16,804,432 | 1.12% | 0.3% |
| 2014 | 4,767,119 | 16,865,008 | 1.08% | 0.36% |
| 2015 | 4,818,038 | 16,939,923 | 1.07% | 0.44% |
| 2016 | 4,866,998 | 17,030,314 | 1.02% | 0.53% |
| 2017 | 4,913,177 | 17,131,296 | 0.95% | 0.59% |
| 2018 | 4,957,818 | 17,231,624 | 0.91% | 0.59% |
| 2019 | 4,999,553 | 17,344,874 | 0.84% | 0.66% |
| 2020 | 5,034,320 | 17,441,500 | 0.7% | 0.56% |
| 2021 | 5,059,988 | 17,533,044 | 0.51% | 0.52% |
| 2022 | 5,081,765 | 17,700,982 | 0.43% | 0.96% |
| 2023 | 5,105,525 | 17,877,117 | 0.47% | 1% |
| 2024 | 5,129,910 | 17,993,485 | 0.48% | 0.65% |
| 2025 | 5,152,946 | 18,110,044 | 0.45% | 0.65% |
| 2026 | 5,174,780 | 18,210,675 | 0.42% | 0.56% |
| 2027 | 5,195,555 | 18,298,766 | 0.4% | 0.48% |
| 2028 | 5,215,247 | 18,378,805 | 0.38% | 0.44% |
| 2029 | 5,233,877 | 18,451,273 | 0.36% | 0.39% |
| 2030 | 5,251,495 | 18,515,139 | 0.34% | 0.35% |
| 2031 | 5,268,137 | 18,571,158 | 0.32% | 0.3% |
| 2032 | 5,283,807 | 18,620,309 | 0.3% | 0.26% |
| 2033 | 5,298,514 | 18,664,195 | 0.28% | 0.24% |
| 2034 | 5,312,162 | 18,701,674 | 0.26% | 0.2% |
| 2035 | 5,324,698 | 18,732,440 | 0.24% | 0.16% |
| 2036 | 5,336,133 | 18,759,270 | 0.21% | 0.14% |
| 2037 | 5,346,408 | 18,781,008 | 0.19% | 0.12% |
| 2038 | 5,355,519 | 18,797,497 | 0.17% | 0.09% |
| 2039 | 5,363,363 | 18,809,490 | 0.15% | 0.06% |
| 2040 | 5,369,806 | 18,816,959 | 0.12% | 0.04% |
| 2041 | 5,374,934 | 18,820,083 | 0.1% | 0.02% |
| 2042 | 5,378,670 | 18,818,821 | 0.07% | -0.007% |
| 2043 | 5,380,915 | 18,814,475 | 0.04% | -0.02% |
| 2044 | 5,381,720 | 18,806,778 | 0.01% | -0.04% |
| 2045 | 5,381,014 | 18,796,219 | -0.01% | -0.06% |
| 2046 | 5,378,757 | 18,784,939 | -0.04% | -0.06% |
| 2047 | 5,374,945 | 18,770,867 | -0.07% | -0.07% |
| 2048 | 5,369,577 | 18,753,541 | -0.1% | -0.09% |
| 2049 | 5,362,651 | 18,734,516 | -0.13% | -0.1% |
| 2050 | 5,354,148 | 18,713,797 | -0.16% | -0.11% |
From 2006 to 2016, the population of Costa Rica increased by 545,658 people (a 12.6% growth), while the Netherlands gained 684,213 people (a 4.19% growth).
For the next 10 years, from 2016 to 2026, Costa Rica gained 308,009 (a 6.33% growth), while the Netherlands' population increased by 1,181,323 (a 6.94% growth).
Costa Rica was ranked 119th most populous country in 2006 and is 126th in 2026. The Netherlands was ranked 61st in 2006 and ranked 72nd now.
The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 24 years (in 2050) Costa Rica's population will grow by 3.46% to 5,354,148 people and will still be ranked 126th. The population of the Netherlands will increase by 2.76% to 18,713,797 people and rank change from 72nd to 77th.
Biggest cities by population
|
|
|
|---|---|
| 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 the Netherlands
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 81.4 years | 82.6 years |
| Average age | 37 years | 42.5 years |
| Median age | 35.6 years | 42.4 years |
| Male:Female ratio | 49.4:50.6 | 49.7:50.3 |
| Fertility rate | 1.33 births per woman | 1.43 births per woman |
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 1,384 ppl/mi² |
Population map with other countries
Population
Growth rate visualization in other countries
Growth rate
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