Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Costa Rica

Population in cities over 1 million in Costa Rica in 2025 — 1,502,635 people. Ranked 105 in the world out of 121. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 553.9%.

2025 1.5M people +1.36% vs 2024
World rank 105of 121
Period maximum 1.5M people2025
Period minimum 229,792 people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Costa Rica, 1960–20250500,0001M1.5M2M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 229,792 people1962: 251,001 people1964: 274,348 people1966: 299,928 people1968: 327,933 people1970: 358,509 people1972: 391,984 people1974: 424,290 people1976: 455,817 people1978: 489,638 people1980: 526,020 people1982: 565,050 people1984: 606,945 people1986: 648,576 people1988: 693,125 people1990: 740,667 people1992: 791,543 people1994: 845,835 people1996: 903,935 people1998: 965,936 people2000: 1,032,032 people2002: 1,063,952 people2004: 1,096,906 people2006: 1,130,833 people2008: 1,165,858 people2010: 1,201,918 people2012: 1,239,145 people2014: 1,277,471 people2016: 1,317,039 people2018: 1,357,745 people2020: 1,399,629 people2022: 1,441,324 people2024: 1,482,460 people2025: 1,502,635 people
Change over the period: +1.27M (+553.91%) Average annual rate: 2.93 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Costa Rica

Costa Rica 1.5M people
World computed 2.01B people
Latin America & Caribbean computed 261M people
Central America computed 66.98M people
Upper-middle-income countries computed 837M people
Population in cities over 1 million — Costa Rica, by year Costa Rica All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 1.5M +20,175 +1.36%
2024 1.48M +20,471 +1.4%
2023 1.46M +20,665 +1.43%
2022 1.44M +20,791 +1.46%
2021 1.42M +20,904 +1.49%
2020 1.4M +21,083 +1.53%
2019 1.38M +20,801 +1.53%
2018 1.36M +20,508 +1.53%
2017 1.34M +20,198 +1.53%
2016 1.32M +19,948 +1.54%
2015 1.3M +19,620 +1.54%
2014 1.28M +19,322 +1.54%
2013 1.26M +19,004 +1.53%
2012 1.24M +18,768 +1.54%
2011 1.22M +18,459 +1.54%
2010 1.2M +18,180 +1.54%
2009 1.18M +17,880 +1.53%
2008 1.17M +17,658 +1.54%
2007 1.15M +17,367 +1.54%
2006 1.13M +17,104 +1.54%
2005 1.11M +16,823 +1.53%
2004 1.1M +16,614 +1.54%
2003 1.08M +16,340 +1.54%
2002 1.06M +16,092 +1.54%
2001 1.05M +15,828 +1.53%
2000 1.03M +33,495 +3.35%
1999 998,537 +32,601 +3.38%
1998 965,936 +31,536 +3.38%
1997 934,400 +30,465 +3.37%
1996 903,935 +29,552 +3.38%
1995 874,383 +28,548 +3.38%
1994 845,835 +27,615 +3.38%
1993 818,220 +26,677 +3.37%
1992 791,543 +25,878 +3.38%
1991 765,665 +24,998 +3.38%
1990 740,667 +24,181 +3.37%
1989 716,486 +23,361 +3.37%
1988 693,125 +22,660 +3.38%
1987 670,465 +21,889 +3.37%
1986 648,576 +21,175 +3.38%
1985 627,401 +20,456 +3.37%
1984 606,945 +21,292 +3.64%
1983 585,653 +20,603 +3.65%
1982 565,050 +19,877 +3.65%
1981 545,173 +19,153 +3.64%
1980 526,020 +18,529 +3.65%
1979 507,491 +17,853 +3.65%
1978 489,638 +17,225 +3.65%
1977 472,413 +16,596 +3.64%
1976 455,817 +16,057 +3.65%
1975 439,760 +15,470 +3.65%
1974 424,290 +14,926 +3.65%
1973 409,364 +17,380 +4.43%
1972 391,984 +17,123 +4.57%
1971 374,861 +16,352 +4.56%
1970 358,509 +15,639 +4.56%
1969 342,870 +14,937 +4.55%
1968 327,933 +14,325 +4.57%
1967 313,608 +13,680 +4.56%
1966 299,928 +13,084 +4.56%
1965 286,844 +12,496 +4.55%
1964 274,348 +11,984 +4.57%
1963 262,364 +11,363 +4.53%
1962 251,001 +10,846 +4.52%
1961 240,155 +10,363 +4.51%
1960 229,792

Central America, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The population of urban agglomerations with more than one million residents. The unit of count is the agglomeration, not the city within its administrative boundaries, and that is essential: along administrative lines many of the largest concentrations of people break up into dozens of municipalities. The indicator measures not urbanization as such but its concentration in large centers — a country can be highly urbanized without a single million-plus city.

Important: The table covers about 120 territories — the rest have no agglomerations of this size, and that is a zero, not a gap. Aggregates for groups of countries are therefore calculated at a lowered coverage threshold.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.