MigrantoMigration trends in Costa Rica
Latin America
Costa Rica takes in more people than it loses: 608K immigrants against 51K emigrants. Net balance +557K — 11% of the country's population
5.1M
Population
608K
Immigrants
51K
Emigrants
+557K
Inflow
1 in 8 residents of Costa Rica was born abroad — and 1 in 102 people born in Costa Rica lives abroad
#75 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Costa Rica
Where people come from
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
209.2K immigrants · 22.9K emigrants
2000
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 47%
2020
- The foreign-born population passed 500K residents
Today
- Panama replaced Nicaragua as the main destination for those leaving
- Without migration, the population would have declined
- Since 1990: 398.8K more foreign-born residents and roughly the same number of emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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