Who moves to Costa Rica
608K people have chosen Costa Rica for relocation — #75 most popular destination worldwide
Considering a move to Costa Rica? — See where people come from, regional patterns, and how it's changed since 1990.
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 |
| United States | 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 |
| Türkiye | 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 |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 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
127
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 | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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