# Costa Rica Population Breakdown

> Costa Rica's population of 5.15 million is aging, mixed, and growing slower than before.
- Title: Costa Rica Population Breakdown · The Rio Times | Shortify
- Summary: Costa Rica's population of 5.15 million is aging, mixed, and growing slower than before. Costa Rica has 5.15 million people, with 10.1% aged 65+ and 83.6%…
- Keywords: costa rica, population, ethnic groups, mestizo, indigenous, afro-descendant, san jose, limon province, world bank, inec, news, world
- Source: The Rio Times — https://riotimesonline.com/costa-rica-population-ethnic-groups-explained-2026
- Author: Contributing Reporter
- Published: 2026-10-29T13:42:24+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: costa rica, population, ethnic groups, mestizo, indigenous, afro-descendant, san jose, limon province, world bank, inec, news, world
## Population Estimate
Costa Rica's population is 5,044,197 in 2022, with the World Bank showing 5.15 million in 2025.
## Age Distribution
20.8% of people are under 15, and 10.1% are 65 or older in 2022.
## Ethnic Groups
83.6% identify as white or mestizo, 7.8% as Afro-descendant, and 2.4% as indigenous.
## Foreign-Born Residents
12.2% of Costa Ricans are foreign-born, with Nicaraguans making up 74.6% of that group.
## Urban Population
79.7% of Costa Ricans live in urban areas, up from 72.8% in the 2011 census.
## Indigenous Peoples
The Bribri and Cabecar are the largest indigenous groups, with 18,198 and 16,985 people respectively.
## Afro-Costa Ricans
Limón province has the highest Afro-descendant share at 13.3%, with 51,344 residents.
## Population Aging
Births per woman dropped to 1.32 in 2024, down from 1.8 in 2011, causing rapid aging.
## Growth Rates
Guanacaste grew 2.12% annually between 2011 and 2022, the fastest among provinces.
## Language and Faith
Spanish is the official language, and Catholicism is the state religion with protections for other beliefs.
## US Readers
People born in the United States are the third-largest foreign group in Costa Rica.
## What's Unknown
INEC has no 2022 ethnic breakdown, so 2011 census data is the latest available.
## Key Statistics
Life expectancy is 81.0 years, with a crude birth rate of 10.0 per 1,000 people.
## Regional Breakdown
San José holds 31.7% of the population, with 1,601,167 residents.
## Population Trends
The population grew from 4.3 million in 2011 to 5.15 million in 2025, slowing significantly.
## Key takeaway

Costa Rica has 5.15 million people, with 10.1% aged 65+ and 83.6% white or mestizo.