Rural population growth (annual %) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Rural population growth (annual %) was -1.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Costa Rica, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population growth in Costa Rica is -1.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 50.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Costa Rica peaked at 3.5% in 1961 and was at its lowest, -3.6%, in 2011.
That places Costa Rica 182nd out of 210 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth (annual %) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.5% | — |
| 1962 | 3.5% | -2.0% |
| 1963 | 3.4% | -3.1% |
| 1964 | 3.1% | -9.0% |
| 1965 | 2.7% | -13.4% |
| 1966 | 2.3% | -13.4% |
| 1967 | 2.0% | -13.1% |
| 1968 | 1.7% | -13.8% |
| 1969 | 1.5% | -10.2% |
| 1970 | 1.5% | -4.1% |
| 1971 | 1.5% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 1.6% | +5.1% |
| 1973 | 1.7% | +10.2% |
| 1974 | 1.9% | +8.8% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | +5.2% |
| 1976 | 2.0% | +4.4% |
| 1977 | 2.1% | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 2.2% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 2.2% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 2.0% | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | -7.0% |
| 1986 | 1.6% | -11.2% |
| 1987 | 1.4% | -13.9% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | -16.0% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | -17.1% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | -13.6% |
| 1991 | 0.7% | -13.5% |
| 1992 | 0.6% | -19.2% |
| 1993 | 0.4% | -25.1% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | -35.3% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -52.4% |
| 1996 | -0.0% | -113.4% |
| 1997 | -0.2% | +906.4% |
| 1998 | -0.3% | +87.6% |
| 1999 | -0.5% | +43.8% |
| 2000 | -0.7% | +35.7% |
| 2001 | -0.9% | +37.3% |
| 2002 | -1.2% | +34.5% |
| 2003 | -1.5% | +24.2% |
| 2004 | -1.8% | +16.8% |
| 2005 | -2.0% | +12.6% |
| 2006 | -2.3% | +12.8% |
| 2007 | -2.6% | +12.0% |
| 2008 | -2.8% | +9.3% |
| 2009 | -3.1% | +9.9% |
| 2010 | -3.5% | +12.1% |
| 2011 | -3.6% | +5.0% |
| 2012 | -0.9% | -76.0% |
| 2013 | -1.0% | +14.1% |
| 2014 | -1.0% | +4.4% |
| 2015 | -1.0% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | -1.1% | +5.1% |
| 2017 | -1.2% | +6.1% |
| 2018 | -1.2% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | -1.3% | +5.2% |
| 2020 | -1.4% | +11.0% |
| 2021 | -1.6% | +12.5% |
| 2022 | -1.7% | +4.3% |
| 2023 | -1.6% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | -1.6% | -1.7% |
| 2025 | -1.6% | +0.5% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's -1.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is -0.3%, 5.6× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's -1.6% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is -0.2%, 7.5× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | -906.4% | -0.0% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | -113.4% | 0.1% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | +76.0% | -3.6% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | -87.6% | -0.2% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.6% | 1.5% | 3.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.8% | 1.0% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | -0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.9% | -3.1% | -0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.6% | -3.6% | -0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.6% | -1.7% | -1.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More agriculture & rural data for Costa Rica
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0337 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 672.15 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2027 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Costa Rica?
- Rural population growth in Costa Rica was -1.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 3.5% in 1961.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.6% in 2011.
- How does Costa Rica rank for rural population growth?
- Costa Rica ranks 182nd out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.