The latest officially reported population of Costa Rica was 5,129,910 in 2024 vs 235,536 people in Sao Tome and Principe in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current Costa Rica's population is 5,170,484 people compared to 244,055 in Sao Tome and Principe.
Population statistics:
- Costa Rica's population is 21.2 times bigger than Sao Tome and Principe's.
- Costa Rica is ranked the 126th most populous country in the world, while Sao Tome and Principe is the 176th.
- The countries together account for 0.07% of the world: 0.06% for Costa Rica vs 0.003% for Sao Tome and Principe.
- For the last 10 years, Costa Rica has had an average growth rate of +0.77% per year vs +1.82% in Sao Tome and Principe.
- Since 2005, the population of Costa Rica has increased from 4.26M people to 5.17M (21.3% growth), while Sao Tome and Principe has grown from 162K to 244K (51% growth).
- Costa Rica is projected to reach its peak in 2044 at 5.38M people compared to the peak of 534K people in 2100 for Sao Tome and Principe.
Costa Rica vs Sao Tome and Principe: live population counter
Costa Rica
|
Sao Tome
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Current population |
5170484
|
244055
|
| Population rank | 126/197 | 176/197 |
| Percent of world population | 0.06% | 0.003% |
| One net population change |
21.6 minutes
|
1.88 hours
|
| One birth every |
10.1 minutes
|
1.35 hours
|
| One death every |
18.9 minutes
|
6.81 hours
|
| One migration net change every |
9.06 hours
|
14.5 hours
|
| Annual migration change | +967 | -604 |
| Daily growth/decline | +67 | +13 |
| Annual growth/decline | +24,385 | +4,665 |
| Annual growth/decline rate | +0.48% | +2.02% |
| Population growth rate rank | 138/197 | 52/197 |
Costa Rica and Sao Tome and Principe: population history and growth rate by year chart
Costa Rica
Population
Growth rate
Sao Tome and Principe
Population
Growth rate
| Year | Population | Growth rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Costa Rica
|
Sao Tome
|
Costa Rica
|
Sao Tome
|
|
| 1960 | 1,327,496 | 68,012 | - | - |
| 1961 | 1,377,920 | 68,707 | 3.8% | 1.02% |
| 1962 | 1,429,445 | 69,403 | 3.74% | 1.01% |
| 1963 | 1,481,604 | 70,112 | 3.65% | 1.02% |
| 1964 | 1,533,960 | 70,865 | 3.53% | 1.07% |
| 1965 | 1,586,208 | 71,680 | 3.41% | 1.15% |
| 1966 | 1,638,116 | 72,576 | 3.27% | 1.25% |
| 1967 | 1,689,523 | 73,596 | 3.14% | 1.41% |
| 1968 | 1,739,731 | 74,765 | 2.97% | 1.59% |
| 1969 | 1,789,276 | 76,083 | 2.85% | 1.76% |
| 1970 | 1,838,949 | 77,626 | 2.78% | 2.03% |
| 1971 | 1,888,539 | 79,330 | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| 1972 | 1,938,248 | 81,041 | 2.63% | 2.16% |
| 1973 | 1,988,343 | 82,798 | 2.58% | 2.17% |
| 1974 | 2,039,643 | 84,672 | 2.58% | 2.26% |
| 1975 | 2,092,719 | 86,708 | 2.6% | 2.4% |
| 1976 | 2,147,774 | 88,922 | 2.63% | 2.55% |
| 1977 | 2,205,025 | 91,301 | 2.67% | 2.68% |
| 1978 | 2,264,510 | 93,794 | 2.7% | 2.73% |
| 1979 | 2,326,490 | 96,252 | 2.74% | 2.62% |
| 1980 | 2,390,633 | 98,544 | 2.76% | 2.38% |
| 1981 | 2,456,637 | 100,615 | 2.76% | 2.1% |
| 1982 | 2,524,806 | 102,508 | 2.77% | 1.88% |
| 1983 | 2,595,153 | 104,380 | 2.79% | 1.83% |
| 1984 | 2,667,595 | 106,394 | 2.79% | 1.93% |
| 1985 | 2,741,894 | 108,658 | 2.79% | 2.13% |
| 1986 | 2,817,216 | 111,150 | 2.75% | 2.29% |
| 1987 | 2,892,699 | 113,919 | 2.68% | 2.49% |
| 1988 | 2,968,103 | 116,939 | 2.61% | 2.65% |
| 1989 | 3,043,827 | 119,979 | 2.55% | 2.6% |
| 1990 | 3,121,706 | 122,980 | 2.56% | 2.5% |
| 1991 | 3,202,176 | 125,697 | 2.58% | 2.21% |
| 1992 | 3,284,258 | 128,110 | 2.56% | 1.92% |
| 1993 | 3,367,434 | 130,467 | 2.53% | 1.84% |
| 1994 | 3,451,122 | 132,732 | 2.49% | 1.74% |
| 1995 | 3,535,176 | 134,895 | 2.44% | 1.63% |
| 1996 | 3,619,013 | 136,962 | 2.37% | 1.53% |
| 1997 | 3,701,711 | 138,922 | 2.29% | 1.43% |
| 1998 | 3,782,838 | 140,751 | 2.19% | 1.32% |
| 1999 | 3,862,101 | 142,442 | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| 2000 | 3,937,739 | 144,018 | 1.96% | 1.11% |
| 2001 | 4,008,947 | 146,375 | 1.81% | 1.64% |
| 2002 | 4,075,705 | 149,922 | 1.67% | 2.42% |
| 2003 | 4,138,784 | 153,814 | 1.55% | 2.6% |
| 2004 | 4,200,078 | 157,705 | 1.48% | 2.53% |
| 2005 | 4,261,240 | 161,639 | 1.46% | 2.49% |
| 2006 | 4,321,340 | 165,638 | 1.41% | 2.47% |
| 2007 | 4,380,248 | 169,700 | 1.36% | 2.45% |
| 2008 | 4,440,056 | 173,793 | 1.37% | 2.41% |
| 2009 | 4,499,791 | 177,853 | 1.35% | 2.34% |
| 2010 | 4,555,962 | 181,802 | 1.25% | 2.22% |
| 2011 | 4,609,833 | 185,649 | 1.18% | 2.12% |
| 2012 | 4,663,934 | 189,439 | 1.17% | 2.04% |
| 2013 | 4,716,147 | 193,148 | 1.12% | 1.96% |
| 2014 | 4,767,119 | 196,767 | 1.08% | 1.87% |
| 2015 | 4,818,038 | 200,291 | 1.07% | 1.79% |
| 2016 | 4,866,998 | 203,689 | 1.02% | 1.7% |
| 2017 | 4,913,177 | 206,970 | 0.95% | 1.61% |
| 2018 | 4,957,818 | 210,187 | 0.91% | 1.55% |
| 2019 | 4,999,553 | 213,392 | 0.84% | 1.52% |
| 2020 | 5,034,320 | 217,435 | 0.7% | 1.89% |
| 2021 | 5,059,988 | 221,961 | 0.51% | 2.08% |
| 2022 | 5,081,765 | 226,305 | 0.43% | 1.96% |
| 2023 | 5,105,525 | 230,871 | 0.47% | 2.02% |
| 2024 | 5,129,910 | 235,536 | 0.48% | 2.02% |
| 2025 | 5,152,946 | 240,251 | 0.45% | 2% |
| 2026 | 5,174,780 | 244,987 | 0.42% | 1.97% |
| 2027 | 5,195,555 | 249,783 | 0.4% | 1.96% |
| 2028 | 5,215,247 | 254,657 | 0.38% | 1.95% |
| 2029 | 5,233,877 | 259,597 | 0.36% | 1.94% |
| 2030 | 5,251,495 | 264,560 | 0.34% | 1.91% |
| 2031 | 5,268,137 | 269,566 | 0.32% | 1.89% |
| 2032 | 5,283,807 | 274,643 | 0.3% | 1.88% |
| 2033 | 5,298,514 | 279,761 | 0.28% | 1.86% |
| 2034 | 5,312,162 | 284,911 | 0.26% | 1.84% |
| 2035 | 5,324,698 | 290,082 | 0.24% | 1.81% |
| 2036 | 5,336,133 | 295,269 | 0.21% | 1.79% |
| 2037 | 5,346,408 | 300,439 | 0.19% | 1.75% |
| 2038 | 5,355,519 | 305,590 | 0.17% | 1.71% |
| 2039 | 5,363,363 | 310,729 | 0.15% | 1.68% |
| 2040 | 5,369,806 | 315,833 | 0.12% | 1.64% |
| 2041 | 5,374,934 | 320,875 | 0.1% | 1.6% |
| 2042 | 5,378,670 | 325,888 | 0.07% | 1.56% |
| 2043 | 5,380,915 | 330,908 | 0.04% | 1.54% |
| 2044 | 5,381,720 | 335,919 | 0.01% | 1.51% |
| 2045 | 5,381,014 | 340,911 | -0.01% | 1.49% |
| 2046 | 5,378,757 | 345,883 | -0.04% | 1.46% |
| 2047 | 5,374,945 | 350,758 | -0.07% | 1.41% |
| 2048 | 5,369,577 | 355,569 | -0.1% | 1.37% |
| 2049 | 5,362,651 | 360,353 | -0.13% | 1.35% |
| 2050 | 5,354,148 | 365,103 | -0.16% | 1.32% |
From 2005 to 2015, the population of Costa Rica increased by 556,798 people (a 13.1% growth), while Sao Tome and Principe gained 38,652 people (a 23.9% growth).
For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, Costa Rica gained 352,446 (a 7.32% growth), while Sao Tome and Principe's population increased by 43,764 (a 21.9% growth).
Costa Rica was ranked 120th most populous country in 2005 and is 126th in 2025. Sao Tome and Principe was ranked 178th in 2005 and ranked 176th 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 Sao Tome and Principe will increase by 49.6% to 365,103 people and rank change from 176th to 175th.
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 Sao Tome and Principe
|
Costa Rica
|
Sao Tome
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 81.2 years | 70.1 years |
| Average age | 37 years | 25.1 years |
| Median age | 35.6 years | 20.3 years |
| Male:Female ratio | 49.4:50.6 | 49.7:50.3 |
| Fertility rate | 1.33 births per woman | 3.64 births per woman |
| Population density | 260.2 ppl/mi² | 635 ppl/mi² |
Population map with other countries
Population
Growth rate visualization in other countries
Growth rate
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