Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Costa Rica: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MBB, ranked #56 of 195).
Costa Rica is a presidential republic in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama. The country's capital is San José; it covers 51,100 sq km. Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain). Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes. Climate: tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands. Population: 5.3 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.75% per year. Median age: 36.0 years. Life expectancy: 80.3 years (2024 est.). Languages: Spanish (official), English Religions…
| Capital | San José |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,304,932 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $138.371 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $27,000 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.3% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 0.4% |
| Unemployment | 7.9% |
| Public debt | 48.9% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $36.77 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $30.459 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 80.3 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 36.0 |
| Urbanization | 82.6% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| Languages | Spanish (official), English |
MBB · 55/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum +3 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Continuity held in San José: steady services and tech exports, the crime-fighting agenda advancing without institutional rupture.
A small, stable democracy executing its plan — modestly positive, as the score says.
Hydropower.
Laura Fernández Delgado — President. President Rodrigo CHAVES Robles (since 8 May 2022)
Costa Rica maintains 42 embassies and 5 consulates abroad, hosts 39 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 42 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 5 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 39 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 via Wikipedia 'List of countries by number of diplomatic missions' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_diplomatic_missions ; hosted: Consular Affairs Center Jan 2026 report (in-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1290 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 132 + 8 heliports (registration prefix TI) |
| Major seaports | Golfito, Puerto Caldera, Puerto Limon, Puerto Moin, Puerto Quepos, Puntarenas |
| Railways | 278 km |
| Pipelines | 662 km refined products (2013) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Puerto Limon (1,319,372 TEU) |
Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) — Liberia; Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) — San José (Alajuela); Golfito Airport (GLF) — Golfito; La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON) — La Fortuna; Limón International Airport (LIO) — Limón; Nosara Airport (NOB) — Nicoya; Puerto Jimenez Airport (PJM) — Puerto Jimenez; Quepos Managua Airport (XQP) — Quepos; Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) — San Jose.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MBB · 55 Ranked #56 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Costa Rica.
Historical timeline of Costa Rica
