Countries, Compared

Costa Rica

Costa Rica sits in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Countries, Compared: country research and comparison

Costa Rica sits in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Its official name in Spanish is República de Costa Rica. The country is a stable multiparty democracy and is often described in comparative data as an upper-middle-income nation with a long history of political stability and social investment.

Stable statistical identifiers

The following identifiers are administrative and statistical, not territorial or sovereignty claims. They come from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) standard country codes and the World Bank’s list of economies.

Field Value Source
UN M49 code 188 UN Statistics Division
ISO alpha-2 CR ISO
ISO alpha-3 CRI ISO
UN region Americas UN M49
UN subregion Latin America and the Caribbean UN M49
UN membership Member state UN
World Bank capital field San Jose World Bank country profile

The UN M49 grouping is a statistical geography maintained by the UN Statistics Division. It clusters territories for data collection and does not decide sovereignty or disputed borders. The capital shown by the World Bank (San Jose) is the seat of government used in its databases. Administrative and political realities can differ from statistical groupings, so always attribute any claim to the source that defines it.

How to get current figures

Population, language use, currency details, government structure, and economic indicators change on different schedules. Rather than freezing numbers into this page, use the primary sources below and note the reference year each time you cite a figure.

  • Population, demographics, and development indicators: UN Data and the UN Population Division; the UN M49 overview gives the grouping and region codes. Reference year varies by indicator; check the dataset’s “last updated” field.
  • Economic indicators (GDP, income grouping, poverty, trade): World Bank country profile. Use the API at https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/CR?format=json for machine-readable country metadata. Reference year is listed on each indicator page.
  • Health statistics (life expectancy, mortality, disease burden): World Health Organization Global Health Observatory.
  • Education and cultural heritage: UNESCO Institute for Statistics and UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
  • Governance and civil liberties: Freedom House, with its published methodology.
  • Corruption perceptions: Transparency International, with its published methodology.
  • Travel advice and visa rules: your own government’s foreign ministry or the IATA Travel Centre. This page does not provide current visa guidance.

Population: how to verify it

Population figures change yearly and are not a single fact. The most recent official estimate comes from the Costa Rican national statistical office, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), and from UN population estimates. The two may differ because they use different reference dates and definitions.

INEC conducts the population census and publishes household surveys; its figures are the primary national source for demographic data. The UN Population Division also publishes projections between censuses. The World Bank publishes an API endpoint at https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/CR?format=json that returns country metadata and indicators. For a population figure, use the indicator SP.POP.TOTL and note the reference year given in the dataset. Do not compare a census count from one year with an estimate from another without converting them. The UN World Population Prospects is the standard source for inter-census estimates and projections. For the latest figure, check the World Bank API and the UN population page and record the reference year.

Languages

The CIA World Factbook lists Spanish as the official language and notes recognized indigenous languages, but the authoritative source for legal status is Costa Rica’s constitution and the legislative acts that define official languages. Do not rely on a single website for language percentages; the census and national survey reports from INEC are the primary source.

Currency

Costa Rica uses the Costa Rican colón (CRC). For current exchange rates, use a named financial data provider (for example, the central bank or a major market data service) and note the date.

Government

Costa Rica is a presidential republic. The president serves as both head of state and head of government. For current leadership and election results, consult official government sources.

Economy

Costa Rica’s economy is grouped as upper-middle-income by the World Bank. Use the World Bank country API (https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/CR?format=json) to retrieve the latest income grouping, GDP per capita, and other indicators. The reference year for World Bank groupings changes annually, usually in July.

Travel

For visa and entry requirements, consult your own government’s foreign ministry travel advisory or the IATA Travel Centre. Requirements change frequently and depend on nationality.

Source literacy and caveats

Country codes are assigned by the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency; the World Bank API uses ISO alpha-3 codes in its id field. The UN M49 standard is statistical, not political: it groups territories for data collection, not for recognition or sovereignty. UN membership is a separate status. Every statistic referenced here is a snapshot; verify all current numbers before citing.