Costa Rica: capital, population, area and flag
Costa Rica is a country in Central America (North America). Its capital is San José. The population is about 5.15M (#124 of 193) and the area is about 51,100 km² (#126 of 193).
Key facts
- Capital
- San José
- Region
- North America / Central America
- Population
- 5,152,950 (2025) #124 of 193
- Total area
- 51,100 km² (2024) #126 of 193
- Population density
- 101.5 people/km² (2024) #87 of 193
- GDP (total)
- $103B (2025) #73 of 189
- GDP per capita
- $19,970 (2025) #56 of 189
- Life expectancy
- 81.0 years (2024) #38 of 193
- Distance from Japan
- 13,176 km #48 of 192
- Area compared with Japan
- about 1/7 that of Japan
- Population compared with Japan
- about 1/24 that of Japan
- Main languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
- Calling code
- +506
- Time zone (capital)
- UTC-6
- Time difference from Japan (standard time)
- 15 h behind Japan
- Driving side
- Right
- Capital location
- 9.93°N 84.08°W
Population of Costa Rica, 1950–2100 (Japanese)
See past estimates, future projections and the population pyramid in the World Population Time Machine.
Map of Costa Rica
Capital: San José
Costa Rica: number one in the world
Costa Rica ranks first in the world for these crops, animals, seafood and farm products (latest FAO data). Select one to see the whole ranking.
Neighbors by land
Top rankings
Costa Rica is in the top 10 for:
Costa Rica in world rankings
How Costa Rica compares with other countries, indicator by indicator. Click an indicator to see the full ranking.
Questions about Costa Rica
What is the capital of Costa Rica?
The capital of Costa Rica is San José.
What is the population of Costa Rica?
Costa Rica has a population of about 5.15M (2025), #124 of 193 among countries.
How big is Costa Rica?
Costa Rica covers about 51,100 km², #126 of 193 among countries.
Which continent is Costa Rica in?
Costa Rica is in North America, in the region of Central America.
What is Costa Rica number one in the world for in food and farming?
Costa Rica ranks first in the world for: Pineapples 3.12M t (FAO data).
What currency and languages are used in Costa Rica?
The currency is the Costa Rican Colón. Main languages: Spanish.
How does Costa Rica compare with Japan in size and population?
The area of Costa Rica is about 1/7 that of Japan, and its population is about 1/24 that of Japan.
How far is Costa Rica from Japan?
The capital, San José, is about 13,176 km from Tokyo, the capital of Japan, in a straight line.
What is the time difference between Costa Rica and Japan?
The capital, San José, is on UTC-6 in standard time: 15 h behind Japan.
More countries in Central America
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