Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Urban area long term, annual growth rate was 1.47 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
1.47 % change on previous year
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
122nd
of 202 countries
All-time high
14.4 % change on previous year
in 2002
All-time low
1.47 % change on previous year
in 2025
Years of data
75
1951–2025
Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Costa Rica, 1951–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban area long term, annual growth rate in Costa Rica is 1.47 % change on previous year, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 75 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 24.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban area long term, annual growth rate in Costa Rica peaked at 14.4 % change on previous year in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.47 % change on previous year, in 2025.
Costa Rica ranks 122nd of 202 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 75 years of available data.
Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 3.17 % change on previous year | — |
| 1952 | 3.38 % change on previous year | +6.8% |
| 1953 | 3.52 % change on previous year | +4.0% |
| 1954 | 3.6 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 1955 | 3.64 % change on previous year | +1.2% |
| 1956 | 3.67 % change on previous year | +0.7% |
| 1957 | 3.7 % change on previous year | +1.0% |
| 1958 | 3.76 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 1959 | 3.83 % change on previous year | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 3.92 % change on previous year | +2.3% |
| 1961 | 4 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 1962 | 4.05 % change on previous year | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 4.41 % change on previous year | +8.9% |
| 1964 | 5.45 % change on previous year | +23.7% |
| 1965 | 5.29 % change on previous year | -3.0% |
| 1966 | 5.13 % change on previous year | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 4.99 % change on previous year | -2.8% |
| 1968 | 4.86 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 1969 | 4.72 % change on previous year | -2.9% |
| 1970 | 4.59 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 1971 | 4.99 % change on previous year | +8.6% |
| 1972 | 4.82 % change on previous year | -3.4% |
| 1973 | 4.66 % change on previous year | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 4.15 % change on previous year | -11.1% |
| 1975 | 4.34 % change on previous year | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 3.61 % change on previous year | -16.8% |
| 1977 | 3.83 % change on previous year | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 4.02 % change on previous year | +4.9% |
| 1979 | 4.16 % change on previous year | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 4.27 % change on previous year | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 3.9 % change on previous year | -8.5% |
| 1982 | 4.02 % change on previous year | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 4.09 % change on previous year | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 4.21 % change on previous year | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 5.64 % change on previous year | +33.9% |
| 1986 | 5.36 % change on previous year | -5.1% |
| 1987 | 5.31 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 5.28 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 5.27 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 5.27 % change on previous year | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 5.12 % change on previous year | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 5.1 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 4.13 % change on previous year | -19.0% |
| 1994 | 3.41 % change on previous year | -17.3% |
| 1995 | 3.47 % change on previous year | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 3.33 % change on previous year | -4.1% |
| 1997 | 2.81 % change on previous year | -15.7% |
| 1998 | 2.79 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 2.69 % change on previous year | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 2.54 % change on previous year | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 2.31 % change on previous year | -8.9% |
| 2002 | 14.4 % change on previous year | +522.7% |
| 2003 | 2.95 % change on previous year | -79.5% |
| 2004 | 2.47 % change on previous year | -16.1% |
| 2005 | 1.84 % change on previous year | -25.8% |
| 2006 | 1.83 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 1.82 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 1.81 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 1.78 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 1.75 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 2.01 % change on previous year | +15.0% |
| 2012 | 2 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 1.99 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 1.97 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 1.96 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 1.95 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 1.93 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.92 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 1.91 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 1.89 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 1.52 % change on previous year | -19.6% |
| 2022 | 1.51 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 1.5 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 1.49 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 1.47 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 1.47 % change on previous year is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.08 % change on previous year, 1.4× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 1.47 % change on previous year is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.52 % change on previous year, 97% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +522.7% | 2.31 % change on previous year | 14.4 % change on previous year |
| 2003 | -79.5% | 14.4 % change on previous year | 2.95 % change on previous year |
| 1985 | +33.9% | 4.21 % change on previous year | 5.64 % change on previous year |
| 2005 | -25.8% | 2.47 % change on previous year | 1.84 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.58 % change on previous year | 3.17 % change on previous year | 3.83 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1960s | 4.68 % change on previous year | 3.92 % change on previous year | 5.45 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.32 % change on previous year | 3.61 % change on previous year | 4.99 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.74 % change on previous year | 3.9 % change on previous year | 5.64 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.81 % change on previous year | 2.69 % change on previous year | 5.27 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.38 % change on previous year | 1.78 % change on previous year | 14.4 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.94 % change on previous year | 1.75 % change on previous year | 2.01 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.56 % change on previous year | 1.47 % change on previous year | 1.89 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 119 Dominican Republic 1.52 % change on previous year compare
- 120 Colombia 1.51 % change on previous year compare
- 121 Slovenia 1.5 % change on previous year compare
- 123 Tunisia 1.42 % change on previous year compare
- 124 Turkey 1.42 % change on previous year compare
- 125 Venezuela 1.42 % change on previous year compare
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2987 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.406 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0167 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3161 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0907 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban area long term, annual growth rate in Costa Rica?
- Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Costa Rica was 1.47 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban area long term, annual growth rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 14.4 % change on previous year in 2002.
- What is the lowest urban area long term, annual growth rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.47 % change on previous year in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for urban area long term, annual growth rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 122nd out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban area long term, annual growth rate rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban area long term, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban area long term. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Urban area over the long-term HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban area long term. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.