UNData app

General Information

Region		Central America
Population (000, 2021)		5 139^a
Pop. density (per km2, 2021)		100.6^a
Capital city		San José
Capital city pop. (000, 2021)		1 378.5^c,b
UN membership date		02-Nov-45
Surface area (km2)		51 100^b
Sex ratio (m per 100 f)		99.8^a
National currency		Costa Rican Colon (CRC)
Exchange rate (per US$)		613.9^d

Economic indicators

	2010	2015	2021
GDP: Gross domestic product (million current US$)	37 269	54 776	61 774^b
GDP growth rate (annual %, const. 2015 prices)	5	3.6	2.1^b
GDP per capita (current US$)	8 141.9	11 299.1	12 238.4^b
Economy: Agriculture^e (% of Gross Value Added)	7.2	5.4	4.6^b
Economy: Industry^f,g (% of Gross Value Added)	25.4	21.2	20^b
Economy: Services and other activity^h (% of GVA)	67.4	73.4	75.4^b
Employment in agriculture (% of employed)	11.4ⁱ	12.3	11.9^i,d
Employment in industry (% of employed)	20ⁱ	19.2	19.8^i,d
Employment in services (% employed)	68.6ⁱ	68.5	68.3^i,d
Unemploymentⁱ (% of labour force)	7.2	9	12.7^d
Labour force participation rateⁱ (female/male pop. %)	45.3 / 76.5	48.4 / 75.6	48.2 / 75.9^d
CPI: Consumer Price Index^j,k (2010=100)	100	122	130^d
Agricultural production index (2014-2016=100)	88	98	107^b
International trade: exports (million current US$)	9 045	9 578	12 011^i,d
International trade: imports (million current US$)	13 920	15 504	13 965^i,d
International trade: balance (million current US$)	- 4 875	- 5 926	- 1 954^i,d
Balance of payments, current account (million US$)	- 1 214	- 1 921	- 1 289^b

Social indicators

	2010	2015	2021
Population growth rate^l (average annual %)	1.3	1.1	1^d
Urban population (% of total population)	71.7	76.9	80.1^b
Urban population growth rate^l (average annual %)	3.1	2.5	...
Fertility rate, total^l (live births per woman)	1.9	1.9	1.8^d
Life expectancy at birth^l (females/males, years)	80.8 / 76.1	81.7 / 76.7	82.7 / 77.4^d
Population age distribution (0-14/60+ years old, %)	24.3 / 10.8	22.1 / 12.6	20.6 / 15.6^a
International migrant stock^m (000/% of total pop.)	405.8 / 8.9	411.7 / 8.5	520.7 / 10.2^d
Refugees and others of concern to UNHCR (000)	19.9ⁿ	7.9	121.9^d
Infant mortality rate^l (per 1 000 live births)	10	9.3	7.3^d
Health: Current expenditure (% of GDP)	8.1	7.8^o	7.6^o,p
Health: Physicians (per 1 000 pop.)	2.3	1.4	2.9^p
Education: Government expenditure (% of GDP)	6.6	7.1	7^b
Education: Primary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	115.7 / 118.0	111.0 / 111.6	116.6 / 115.8^b
Education: Secondary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	103.2 / 99.0	125.3 / 120.4	146.6 / 136.3^b
Education: Upper secondary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	82.2 / 70.6	118.2 / 99.9	155.4 / 132.3^b
Intentional homicide rate (per 100 000 pop.)	11.5	11.5	11.3^p
Seats held by women in national parliaments (%)	36.8	33.3	45.6^q

Environment and infrastructure indicators

	2010	2015	2021
Individuals using the Internet (per 100 inhabitants)	36.5^r,s	59.8^r,s	81.2^b
Research & Development expenditure (% of GDP)	0.5	0.4	0.4^p
Threatened species (number)	285	323	517
Forested areaⁱ (% of land area)	56.2	57.8	58.8^p
CO2 emission estimates (million tons/tons per capita)	6.6 / 1.4	6.9 / 1.4	7.6 / 1.5^p
Energy production, primary (Petajoules)	104	110	96^p
Energy supply per capita (Gigajoules)	44	43	41^p
Tourist/visitor arrivals at national borders (000)	2 100	2 660	3 139^b
Important sites for terrestrial biodiversity protected (%)	41.1	41.1	41.1^d
Pop. using safely managed drinking water (urban/rural, %)	80.2 / 77.0	80.3 / 79.9	80.4 / 81.1^d
Pop. using safely managed sanitation (urban/rural %)	34.4 / 37.0	30.7 / 36.6	28.7 / 36.6^d
Net Official Development Assist. received (% of GNI)	0.28	0.21	0.1^b

Footnotes

a		Projected estimate (medium fertility variant).
b		2019
c		Refers to the urban population of cantons.
d		2020
e		Excludes irrigation canals and landscaping care.
f		Excludes publishing activities.
g		Includes irrigation canals.
h		Excludes repair of personal and household goods.
i		Estimate.
j		Central area.
k		Calculated by the UN Statistics Division from national indices.
l		Data refers to a 5-year period preceding the reference year.
m		Including refugees.
n		Data as at the end of December.
o		Data are based on SHA2011.
p		2018
q		Data are as at 1 January of reporting year.
r		Population aged 5 years and over.
s		Users in the last 3 months.