Figure 1.--The photo shows a group of pupils lined up to receive the smallpox vaccine. It was taken in Costa Rica in the 1970s. This is partof the reason tht the demograpics of Costa Rica havechanhed remarrkavly since World War II. And Costa Rica has avoided the violence and economic problems that has plagued most of the rest of Central America.

Costa Rica had demographic data like many developing counties through the World War II era, but after the War negan a steady move towaard developed levels. Costa Rica has a relatively stable population of over 5.2 million (2026). The high growth rates of earlier years has leveled off. As in mot of Latin America, the firtility rate was very high, over 6, but began to fall after 1960, at first very steeply. The rate fell below the 2.1 level replacement rate (2005). It was only 1.3 (2005). Infant mortality fell steeply agter World War II from anout 130 per 1,000 births to 22 (1980) and then began to level off. It was only 6 (2025). With the birth rate falling, the Costa Rican population is aging. The median age is about 35 years and rising. This is very high in Latin America which a few years had median ages in the teens. Life expectany increased steadily (1950s-80s), but began to plateau (1990s). It is currently 84 years for women and 79 yeats for men (2025). The age structure was under 15 years (less than 20 percent), working-age/15-64 years (nearly 70 percent), and elderly/65 plus years (over 10 percent). This is close to the American media age vwhicjh is a little under 40 years. As alate as World War II, the population was heanily rurat. 65 percent (1950). The Urban opulation reached 50 percent (1990). The population is today heavily urbanized--something like 85 percent of the popultions lives in urban areas (2025). Most of the population lives in the Central Valley. Most of the population is of European ancestry with a substantial, but but smaller Mestizo popultion than most of the rest of Central America. This may have changed slightly with the large numbers of recent Nicaraguan migrants who have fled Nicaraguan in recent years. (The Communist regime in Nicaragua is both oppressive and has created a failing ecinomy--only marginlly better than Cuba or Venezuela.) About 85 percent of the population is of European or mestizo ancestry. This is dicussed in more detail in the Ethicity section.

Created: 9:32 AM 5/2/2026
Last updated: 9:32 AM 5/2/2026