Rural population as a share of total population fell 3.40% to 18.6% in Costa Rica in 2021, according to the National Statistical Office.
Historically, rural population as a share of total population in Costa Rica reached an all time high of 65.7% in 1960 and an all time low of 18.6% in 2021. When compared to Costa Rica's main peers, rural population as a share of total population in Guatemala amounted to 47.8%, 41.0% in Honduras, 40.7% in Nicaragua and 31.2% in Panama in 2021.
Costa Rica has been ranked 138th within the group of 171 countries we follow in terms of rural population as a share of total population, 16 places below the position seen 10 years ago.
| Rural Population (As % of Total) | Unit | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Belize | % | 54.6% | 54.5% | 54.4% | 54.3% | 54.1% | ||||||||||||||||
| Colombia | % | 20.2% | 19.9% | 19.6% | 19.2% | 18.9% | ||||||||||||||||
| Costa Rica | % | 23.1% | 22.3% | 21.4% | 20.7% | 19.9% | ||||||||||||||||
| El Salvador | % | 30.3% | 29.5% | 28.7% | 28.0% | 27.3% | ||||||||||||||||
| Guatemala | % | 50.0% | 49.7% | 49.3% | 48.9% | 48.6% | ||||||||||||||||
| Honduras | % | 44.8% | 44.2% | 43.5% | 42.9% | 42.3% | ||||||||||||||||
| Mexico | % | 20.7% | 20.4% | 20.1% | 19.8% | 19.6% | ||||||||||||||||
| Nicaragua | % | 42.1% | 41.9% | 41.7% | 41.5% | 41.2% | ||||||||||||||||
| Panama | % | 33.3% | 33.0% | 32.6% | 32.3% | 31.9% | ||||||||||||||||
| USA | % | 18.3% | 18.1% | 17.9% | 17.7% | 17.5% |
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