Country Profile – Costa Rica

Country Profile: Costa Rica

Connecting country profiles with data that drives disaster readiness

This section brings together key demographic, geographic, economic, and natural risk indicators that shape the nation’s exposure and vulnerability. These elements paint a comprehensive picture of the country’s baseline conditions, supporting informed decision-making, strategic planning, and targeted action to strengthen resilience across the region.

General Information

Total population (inhabitants): 5,265,575 (2024 est.) (2,630,094 Female and 2,635,481 Male)
Human Development Index (HDI): 0.833 (62 out of 193 countries
Basic geography: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama. With a total area of 51,100 sq km and 1,290 km of coastline. The terrain is coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes (Highest point: 3,819 m and mean elevation: 746 m).

Economic Overview

Real GDP growth (Annual percent change): 3.6 (2025)
GDP and GDP per capita current prices (U.S. dollars): 102.64 billion and 19.1 thousand (2025)
GDP – composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 3.6%, industry: 19.7% and services: 68.8% (2024 est.)*
Key indicators of economic vulnerability
- General government gross debt (% of GDP 2025): 59.7

*Figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Risks and Disasters

Natural Disaster History (1980-2024)

Type of disaster	Total Disasters (#)	Total Deaths (Persons)	Total Affected (Persons)	Total Damages (000 USD, Adjusted for Inflation)	Internal Displacements (2008-2024)
Drought	4	0	0	45,049
Earthquake	12	106	160,748	631,336	2,400
Epidemic	4	3	36,041	0
Flood	28	120	2,046,748	706,243	28,000
Mass movement (wet)	1	7	200	0	570
Storm	13	117	1,314,254	987,161	33,000
Volcanic activity	3	0	18,900	0	24
Wildfire	1	0	1,200	0	570
Total	66	353	3,578,091	2,369,789	64,564

International Risk Indexes – LAC INFORM RISK

The Index for Risk Management (INFORM) for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region uses a scale of 0–10 to represent the level of risk, where 0 represents the lowest and 10 represents the highest. The Natural column shows the overall index related to natural hazards.

To access an indicator at the global level, please consult this page: INFORM Risk

Earthquake and tsunami
9.7

Flood
3.8

Tropical cyclone
2.6

Eco-Damage and drought
4.3

Epidemics
5.5

Natural
6

References

Central Intelligence Agency. (2025). The World Factbook: Countries. The World Factbook. [LINK]

International Monetary Fund. (2025). DataMapper profile. International Monetary Fund. [LINK]

International Monetary Fund. (2025). Gross general government debt data by country. International Monetary Fund. [LINK]

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. (2024). Displacement Data. IDMC. [LINK]

Joint Research Centre (JRC) — European Commission. (2020). INFORM Subnational Risk: Latin America and Caribbean. INFORM Index. [LINK]

United Nations Development Programme. (2025). Country insights. Human Development Reports. [LINK]

World Bank. (2024). Explore. Climate Change Knowledge Portal. [LINK]

Additional Information

Last Updated: November 2025

Created by: Azucena Ceniceros Gutiérrez