Population and Demographics

In 2005, Costa Rica had an estimated population of 4.43 million persons. In contrast to its neighbouring countries populations, there has been little mixing of the Spanish settlers and the indigenous populations. Therefore, a vast majority of Costa Ricans are either of Spanish or to a lesser extent of mixed mestizo heritage. In addition, there are significant numbers of Costa Ricans of Italian, German, Jewish, and Polish descent. Together, European and Mestizos descendants make up a full 94% of the population. Just under 3% of the population is of black African descent who are called Afro-Costa Ricans and are English-speaking descendants of 19th century black Jamaican immigrant workers. Another 1% is composed of ethnic Chinese.

The indigenous population numbers around 1.7%, or around 50,000 individuals. In Guanacaste Province, a significant portion of the population descends from a mix of local Amerindians, Africans and Spaniards. There is also an expatriate community of people from the United States, Canada, Germany, Holland, Britain and other countries. There are also many Nicaraguan workers.

Christianity is a major religion in Costa Rica, with 92% of Costa Ricans adhering to the faith. As in many other parts of Latin America, Protestant denominations have been enjoying rapid growth, although 75% still adhere to Roman Catholicism.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 4,075,261
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 28.3% (male 590,261/female 563,196)
  • 15-64 years: 66% (male 1,359,750/female 1,329,346)
  • 65 years and over: 5.7% (male 108,041/female 124,667)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 26.4 years
  • Male: 26 years
  • Female: 26.9 years
• Population Growth Rate: 1.45%
• Birth Rate: 18.32 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 4.36 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 10.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 77.02 years
  • Male: 74.43 years
  • Female: 79.74 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 2.24 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.6%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 12,000
• Ethnic Groups:
  • White (including mestizo) 94%
  • Black 3%
  • Amerindian 1%
  • Chinese 1%
  • Other 1%
• Religions:
  • Roman Catholic 76.3%
  • Evangelical 13.7%
  • Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%
  • Other Protestant 0.7%
  • Other 4.8%
  • None 3.2%
• Languages:
  • Spanish (official)
  • English
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 96%
  • Male: 95.9%
  • Female: 96.1%