Costa Rica vs Mexico: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Costa Rica
20.3%
in 2025
Mexico
20.0%
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
160th
Mexico rank
161st
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Costa Rica
- Mexico
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 20.3% against 20.0% in Mexico, a difference of 0.3%.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 160th and Mexico ranks 161st of 218 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Mexico | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 64.5% | 45.5% | 19.0% | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 59.0% | 37.5% | 21.4% | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 55.1% | 31.2% | 23.9% | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 46.9% | 26.9% | 19.9% | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 35.6% | 23.9% | 11.7% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 25.4% | 22.8% | 2.6% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 21.4% | 20.7% | 0.7% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Costa Rica or Mexico?
- Costa Rica, at 20.3% against 20.0% in Mexico as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Costa Rica and Mexico?
- 0.3%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Mexico?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Mexico rank globally for rural population?
- Costa Rica ranks 160th and Mexico ranks 161st of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
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.