
Costa Rica
🇨🇷 Central America · Republic of Costa Rica
How Costa Rica ranks globally
About Costa Rica
Costa Rica (officially Republic of Costa Rica) is a country in Central America, with San José as its capital. It is home to roughly 5.15 million people, giving a population density of about 101 people per square kilometre. The country covers 51,100 km² of land and shares land borders with 2 neighbouring countries. Its economy is valued at approximately $102.9B in nominal GDP (2025), and it records a Human Development Index of 0.833. The official currency is the Costa Rican colón (CRC), and the main language is Spanish.
Key indicators
💹 Economy
👥 People
🌍 Quality of Life
GDP over time
How Costa Rica measures up
Did you know?
Costa Rica is the 124th most populous country in the world, with about 5.15 million people.
By land area it is the 126th-largest country in the world, covering 51,100 km².
It has the world's 73rd-largest economy by nominal GDP ($102.9B).
Costa Rica shares land borders with 2 countries.
It is classed by the UN as a country of very high human development, with an HDI of 0.833.
Costa Rica has a population density of about 101 people per square kilometre.
Quick quiz — do you know Costa Rica?
What is the capital of Costa Rica?
Travel & practical
Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Neighbouring countries
More countries in Americas
Explore more: all countries · all comparisons