01
Physical geography
Coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes.
Local timeSan José ·
North America / Central America · Card 011
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a country in Central America. Its capital is San José.
Find Costa Rica
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- San José
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Costa Rican colón (CRC)
- Population
- 5.2 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 51,100 km²19,729.81 square miles
- Independence
- 1821from Spain
Costa Rica in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks San José; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Spanish.
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Location
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama.
Flag
Five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double-width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk placed toward the left side of the red band
History & independence
Costa Rica declared independence from Spain with other Central American provinces in 1821. It later belonged to the Central American federation before becoming a separate state. After a brief civil war in 1948, the country abolished its army and adopted a new constitution in 1949.
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Independence from Spain
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The army is abolished after a civil war
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The current constitutional framework is adopted
Economy
Main activities
Medical devices, business services, tourism and agriculture are important activities. Coffee, bananas and pineapples remain notable agricultural products. Manufacturing and services have broadened the economy beyond traditional crop exports.
Industry and production
Medical devices, food processing, business services and tourism are important. Coffee, bananas and pineapples are notable agricultural products.
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people5.22025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,838,949 | 1.839 |
| 1980 | 2,390,633 | 2.391 |
| 1990 | 3,121,706 | 3.122 |
| 2000 | 3,937,739 | 3.938 |
| 2010 | 4,555,962 | 4.556 |
| 2020 | 5,034,320 | 5.034 |
| 2025 | 5,152,950 | 5.153 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars80.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 18,881,898,078 | 18.882 |
| 1991 | 19,309,696,739 | 19.310 |
| 1992 | 21,086,401,937 | 21.086 |
| 1993 | 22,582,944,136 | 22.583 |
| 1994 | 23,603,473,799 | 23.603 |
| 1995 | 24,583,951,077 | 24.584 |
| 1996 | 24,915,947,383 | 24.916 |
| 1997 | 26,280,386,016 | 26.280 |
| 1998 | 28,143,280,979 | 28.143 |
| 1999 | 29,310,608,116 | 29.311 |
| 2000 | 30,425,018,572 | 30.425 |
| 2001 | 31,487,207,734 | 31.487 |
| 2002 | 32,563,086,628 | 32.563 |
| 2003 | 33,968,893,692 | 33.969 |
| 2004 | 35,471,881,290 | 35.472 |
| 2005 | 36,882,479,644 | 36.882 |
| 2006 | 39,584,746,486 | 39.585 |
| 2007 | 42,836,685,699 | 42.837 |
| 2008 | 44,866,362,879 | 44.866 |
| 2009 | 44,474,474,900 | 44.474 |
| 2010 | 46,858,459,515 | 46.858 |
| 2011 | 48,921,712,094 | 48.922 |
| 2012 | 51,310,359,954 | 51.310 |
| 2013 | 52,590,433,350 | 52.590 |
| 2014 | 54,453,244,336 | 54.453 |
| 2015 | 56,441,920,888 | 56.442 |
| 2016 | 58,814,921,667 | 58.815 |
| 2017 | 61,260,269,164 | 61.260 |
| 2018 | 63,007,938,632 | 63.008 |
| 2019 | 64,714,281,273 | 64.714 |
| 2020 | 62,034,078,867 | 62.034 |
| 2021 | 67,132,150,844 | 67.132 |
| 2022 | 70,798,368,209 | 70.798 |
| 2023 | 74,190,939,160 | 74.191 |
| 2024 | 77,220,099,149 | 77.220 |
| 2025 | 80,741,594,727 | 80.742 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.833Very High human developmentRank 62 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.677
20000.720
20100.776
20200.819
20230.833
80.8 yearsLife expectancy at birth
8.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A presidential republic with an elected President and a single-chamber Legislative Assembly. The country abolished its standing army in 1948.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Costa Rica.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for Costa Rica?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.