Police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Police officers per 1000 people was 3.8 in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)
3.8
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
58th
of 103 countries
All-time high
3.92
in 1995
All-time low
1.21
in 2003
Years of data
22
1982–2015

Police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica, 1982–2015

12341982199820151982: 1.31984: 1.31986: 1.31995: 3.91997: 3.71998: 1.41999: 1.42000: 1.42001: 3.62002: 3.52003: 1.22004: 1.22005: 3.62006: 3.22007: 3.22008: 3.32009: 3.52010: 3.62011: 3.72012: 3.82013: 3.82015: 3.8

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica is 3.8, measured in 2015.

That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica peaked at 3.92 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 1.21, in 2003.

Costa Rica ranks 58th of 103 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica, 1982 to 2015.
Year Value Change
1982 1.29
1984 1.27 -0.9%
1986 1.27 -0.1%
1995 3.92 +207.7%
1997 3.71 -5.2%
1998 1.36 -63.4%
1999 1.37 +0.8%
2000 1.38 +0.5%
2001 3.56 +158.1%
2002 3.47 -2.4%
2003 1.21 -65.2%
2004 1.21 +0.4%
2005 3.61 +197.7%
2006 3.22 -10.8%
2007 3.17 -1.6%
2008 3.32 +4.6%
2009 3.5 +5.6%
2010 3.57 +1.8%
2011 3.71 +4.0%
2012 3.78 +2.0%
2013 3.81 +0.7%
2015 3.8 -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.28 1.27 1.29 3
1990s 2.59 1.36 3.92 4
2000s 2.77 1.21 3.61 10
2010s 3.73 3.57 3.81 5

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 55 Germany 3.98 compare
  2. 56 Estonia 3.98 compare
  3. 57 Chile 3.83 compare
  4. 59 Ireland 3.77 compare
  5. 60 Ecuador 3.74 compare
  6. 61 Eswatini 3.68 compare

See the full ranking of 103 places →

More reference data data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica?
Police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica was 3.8 in 2015, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest police officers per 1000 people recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 3.92 in 1995.
What is the lowest police officers per 1000 people recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 1.21 in 2003.
How does Costa Rica rank for police officers per 1000 people?
Costa Rica ranks 58th out of 103 countries with data for 2015.
Is police officers per 1000 people rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Police officers per 1000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Police officers per 1000 people in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/police-officers-per-1000-people/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Police officers per 1000 people
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
103 places, 1,617 data points, 1973–2015
Last refreshed