>Costa Rica
People
Unlike many of their Central American neighbors, present-day Costa Ricans are largely of European, rather than mestizo descent; Spain was the primary country of origin. Few of the native Indians survived European contact. The indigenous Indian population today numbers about 29,000 or 1% of the total population. Descendants of 19th century, Jamaican immigrant workers, constitute an English-speaking minority and--at 3% of the population--number about 96,000.
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| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2018 | |
| Population, total (millions) | 3.12 | 3.96 | 4.58 | 5 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 2.6 | 2 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Surface area (sq. km) (thousands) | 51.1 | 51.1 | 51.1 | 51.1 |
| Population density (people per sq. km of land area) | 61.1 | 77.6 | 89.6 | 97.9 |
| Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) | .. | .. | 21.7 | 21.1 |
| Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) (% of population) | 10.2 | 6.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Income share held by lowest 20% | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 76 | 77 | 79 | 80 |
| Fertility rate, total (births per woman) | 3.3 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) | 95 | 75 | 61 | 53 |
| Contraceptive prevalence, any methods (% of women ages 15-49) | 75 | 80 | 82 | 78 |
| Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total) | 98 | 98 | 95 | 90 |
| Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) | 17 | 13 | 11 | 9 |
| Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5) | 2.5 | .. | 1.1 | .. |
| Immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months) | 90 | 82 | 83 | 94 |
| Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) | 74 | 88 | 99 | 99 |
| School enrollment, primary (% gross) | 101.3 | 109.1 | 116.9 | 113.3 |
| School enrollment, secondary (% gross) | 43 | 62 | 101 | 133 |
| School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Environment | ||||
| Forest area (sq. km) (thousands) | 29.1 | 28.6 | 28.7 | 30 |
| Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area) | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (% of internal resources) | .. | .. | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| Urban population growth (annual %) | 4.5 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2 |
| Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita) | 538 | 725 | 1,015 | .. |
| CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita) | 0.95 | 1.38 | 1.65 | 1.64 |
| Electric power consumption (kWh per capita) | 1,072 | 1,507 | 1,888 | .. |
| Net migration (thousands) | 69 | 42 | 20 | 21 |
| Personal remittances, received (current US$) (millions) | 12 | 136 | 531 | 534 |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) (millions) | 163 | 723 | 1,907 | 2,764 |
| Net official development assistance received (current US$) (millions) | 222.5 | 25.5 | 101.1 | 99.4 |