Provinces of Costa Rica: population and official figures
Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces. The largest by population is San Jose with 1,657,287 people (32.1% of the total); the smallest is Guanacaste with 410,331. Population, births, deaths, marriages, construction, crime and district development figures come from Costa Rica's national statistics institute (INEC), including its 2024 vital statistics and Anuario Estadistico 2023-2024.
Who governs Costa Rica's provinces?
Provinces (7): No elected government. Used for elections and statistics.
How local power works in Costa Rica · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 7 provinces, largest first
| # | Province | Population | Year | Growth (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | 1,657,287 | 2024 | – |
| 2 | Alajuela | 1,067,200 | 2024 | – |
| 3 | Heredia | 542,110 | 2024 | – |
| 4 | Cartago | 532,077 | 2024 | – |
| 5 | Puntarenas | 502,255 | 2024 | – |
| 6 | Limon | 453,600 | 2024 | – |
| 7 | Guanacaste | 410,331 | 2024 | – |
Cities: the largest cities of Costa Rica.
More on Costa Rica: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- INEC Costa Rica: Estadisticas vitales 2024: population, births, deaths and marriages (tables 3.1 to 3.64, by province), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1577bf56feca…)
- INEC Costa Rica: Anuario Estadistico 2023-2024, Poblacion: tables 10.4 (density), 10.5 (population, births, deaths) and 10.16 (infant mortality) by province, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1a8625b39cd9…)
- INEC Costa Rica: Anuario Estadistico 2023-2024, Economia: tables 5.15 to 5.17 (construction area, value and housing permits by province), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ad3ab4d7eeb9…)
- INEC Costa Rica: Anuario Estadistico 2023-2024, Social: tables 12.6 and 12.7 (homicides and suicides, Poder Judicial) and 12.28 (district Social Development Index 2023, Mideplan), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e8115b94fa09…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.