Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Rural population growth (annual %)
Costa Rica
-1.6%
in 2025
El Salvador
-1.4%
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
182nd
El Salvador rank
179th
Rural population growth (annual %) over time
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
How they compare
El Salvador currently reports -1.4% against -1.6% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Costa Rica ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 182nd and El Salvador ranks 179th of 210 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 0.0% | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 0.1% | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 1.8% | 0.6% | 1.2% | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 0.2% | -0.4% | 0.6% | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | -1.9% | -2.0% | 0.1% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | -1.6% | -2.2% | 0.7% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | -1.6% | -1.6% | 0.0% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population growth, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
- El Salvador, at -1.4% against -1.6% in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population growth between Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 0.2%, with El Salvador ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and El Salvador rank globally for rural population growth?
- Costa Rica ranks 182nd and El Salvador ranks 179th of 210 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.