MigrantoImmigrants in Costa Rica
608K foreign-born residents — the #75 largest immigrant population in the world
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 80% of all immigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 423401 |
| Venezuela | 34048 |
| Colombia | 30809 |
| El Salvador | 20131 |
| USA | 18354 |
| Panama | 16546 |
| Cuba | 8336 |
| Honduras | 5682 |
| Peru | 5479 |
| Hong Kong | 4758 |
| Mexico | 4489 |
| Guatemala | 3852 |
| Spain | 3132 |
| Italy | 3087 |
| Germany | 2701 |
| Chile | 2517 |
| Argentina | 2125 |
| Canada | 2038 |
| Ecuador | 1842 |
| Dominican Republic | 1589 |
| France | 1262 |
| Switzerland | 971 |
| Russia | 866 |
| Netherlands | 847 |
| Brazil | 787 |
| United Kingdom | 751 |
| Bolivia | 533 |
| Puerto Rico | 514 |
| Uruguay | 451 |
| Poland | 436 |
| Belgium | 422 |
| China | 420 |
| Japan | 408 |
| South Korea | 364 |
| Jamaica | 314 |
| Israel | 245 |
| Ukraine | 224 |
| Philippines | 202 |
| Belize | 202 |
| Sweden | 198 |
| Austria | 183 |
| Iran | 144 |
| Romania | 142 |
| Lebanon | 127 |
| Paraguay | 119 |
| Portugal | 113 |
| Norway | 110 |
| Hungary | 107 |
| Bulgaria | 103 |
| Haiti | 103 |
| Australia | 95 |
| Denmark | 91 |
| South Africa | 81 |
| India | 77 |
| North Korea | 51 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 48 |
| Greece | 47 |
| Aruba | 46 |
| Ireland | 42 |
| Guyana | 40 |
| North Macedonia | 37 |
| Croatia | 34 |
| Slovakia | 31 |
| Finland | 31 |
| Suriname | 28 |
| Indonesia | 24 |
| New Zealand | 24 |
| Mongolia | 22 |
| Iraq | 22 |
| Luxembourg | 22 |
| Saudi Arabia | 19 |
| Algeria | 17 |
| Myanmar | 17 |
| Georgia | 17 |
| Bahamas | 17 |
| French Guiana | 17 |
| Egypt | 16 |
| Libya | 16 |
| Jordan | 16 |
| Syria | 16 |
| Barbados | 16 |
| Bermuda | 16 |
| Uganda | 13 |
| Cameroon | 13 |
| Pakistan | 13 |
| Lithuania | 13 |
| Kenya | 11 |
| Republic of Congo | 11 |
| Nepal | 11 |
| Singapore | 11 |
| Turkey | 11 |
| Cayman Islands | 11 |
| Grenada | 11 |
| Greenland | 11 |
| Thailand | 10 |
| Armenia | 10 |
| US Virgin Islands | 10 |
| Central African Republic | 7 |
| Kazakhstan | 7 |
| Belarus | 7 |
| Dominica | 7 |
| Guam | 7 |
| Mozambique | 5 |
| Tanzania | 5 |
| Morocco | 5 |
| Tunisia | 5 |
| Afghanistan | 5 |
| Bhutan | 5 |
| Laos | 5 |
| Malaysia | 5 |
| Moldova | 5 |
| Albania | 5 |
| Gibraltar | 5 |
| Liechtenstein | 5 |
| Martinique | 5 |
| Montserrat | 5 |
| Madagascar | 4 |
| Angola | 4 |
| DR Congo | 4 |
| Ivory Coast | 4 |
| Nigeria | 4 |
| Bangladesh | 4 |
| Cambodia | 4 |
| Azerbaijan | 4 |
| Cyprus | 4 |
| Oman | 4 |
| Qatar | 4 |
| Estonia | 4 |
| Ethiopia | 1 |
| Rwanda | 1 |
| Somalia | 1 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 |
| Gabon | 1 |
| Sudan | 1 |
| Eswatini | 1 |
| Benin | 1 |
| Ghana | 1 |
| Senegal | 1 |
| Uzbekistan | 1 |
| Macao | 1 |
| Maldives | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 |
| Vietnam | 1 |
| Bahrain | 1 |
| Iceland | 1 |
| Latvia | 1 |
| Monaco | 1 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1 |
| Saint Lucia | 1 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1 |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 1 |
| Fiji | 1 |
By region of origin
Latin America is the leading region of origin at 93%
564.1K
20.4K
16K
6.6K
500
235
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in Costa Rica.
Nicaragua is the leading source of immigration by a wide margin
Nicaragua accounts for 70% of all immigrants, far ahead of the second-largest source at just 6%.
Costa Rica is a primary destination for emigrants from Nicaragua
Costa Rica attracts 47% of all emigrants from Nicaragua, making it the leading destination for those leaving the country.
Immigration has become more concentrated over time
The top source's share rose from 47% to 70%, with Nicaragua increasingly the primary origin.
Immigration has accelerated notably since 2020
The immigrant population grew 21% from 503.8K to 608K, indicating an acceleration in migration flows following COVID and recent geopolitical shifts.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 209203 |
| 1995 | 203783 |
| 2000 | 300251 |
| 2005 | 318076 |
| 2010 | 392094 |
| 2015 | 397638 |
| 2020 | 503841 |
| 2024 | 608024 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | Nicaragua | Venezuela | Colombia | El Salvador | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 99153 | 1030 | 4372 | 56257 | 8586 |
| 1995 | 131695 | 834 | 4147 | 26046 | 7301 |
| 2000 | 230085 | 1054 | 5995 | 8857 | 9667 |
| 2005 | 268157 | 691 | 7708 | 6451 | 6336 |
| 2010 | 288033 | 1362 | 20965 | 13701 | 12492 |
| 2015 | 292232 | 1381 | 21270 | 13900 | 12673 |
| 2020 | 350854 | 28214 | 25530 | 16682 | 15209 |
| 2024 | 423401 | 34048 | 30809 | 20131 | 18354 |
Fastest-changing origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
Costa Rica as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in Costa Rica
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many immigrants live in Costa Rica?
Around 608K foreign-born residents live in Costa Rica, making it the #75-largest immigrant population in the world.
Where do most immigrants in Costa Rica come from?
Most immigrants in Costa Rica come from Nicaragua, Venezuela and Colombia — these three countries account for about 80% of all foreign-born residents.
What share of the population of Costa Rica are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 12% of the population of Costa Rica — that's 608K out of a total population of 5.1M.
How has immigration to Costa Rica changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the immigrant population in Costa Rica has grown from 397.6K to 608K people, a growth of about 53%.
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