Land use in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Land use was 544,348 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
544,348 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
129th
of 224 countries
All-time high
551,000 hectares
in 2013
All-time low
480,000 hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Costa Rica, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, land use in Costa Rica stood at 544,348 hectares.
That represents a change of down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Costa Rica peaked at 551,000 hectares in 2013 and was at its lowest, 480,000 hectares, in 1961.
That places Costa Rica 129th out of 224 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 480,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 485,000 hectares | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 485,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 485,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 485,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 485,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 486,000 hectares | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 486,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 490,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 493,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 497,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 497,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 490,000 hectares | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 490,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 492,000 hectares | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 495,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 497,000 hectares | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 500,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 503,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 506,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 509,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 512,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 515,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 518,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 523,000 hectares | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 526,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 526,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 523,000 hectares | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 510,000 hectares | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 510,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 515,000 hectares | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 510,000 hectares | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 500,000 hectares | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 520,000 hectares | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 510,000 hectares | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 495,000 hectares | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 490,000 hectares | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 490,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 500,000 hectares | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 490,000 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 490,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 490,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 500,000 hectares | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 500,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 490,000 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 505,000 hectares | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 500,000 hectares | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 500,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 530,000 hectares | +6.0% |
| 2010 | 540,000 hectares | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 547,000 hectares | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 547,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 551,000 hectares | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 551,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 540,189 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 533,878 hectares | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 527,567 hectares | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 533,160 hectares | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 538,754 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 544,348 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 544,348 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 544,348 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 544,348 hectares | +0.0% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 544,348 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 303,040 hectares, 1.8× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 544,348 hectares is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 544,348 hectares, 1.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 485,222 hectares | 480,000 hectares | 490,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 495,400 hectares | 490,000 hectares | 503,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 516,800 hectares | 506,000 hectares | 526,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 504,000 hectares | 490,000 hectares | 520,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 499,500 hectares | 490,000 hectares | 530,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 540,955 hectares | 527,567 hectares | 551,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 544,348 hectares | 544,348 hectares | 544,348 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 126 Congo 651,400 hectares compare
- 127 Guinea-Bissau 645,530 hectares compare
- 128 New Zealand 592,000 hectares compare
- 130 Armenia 503,400 hectares compare
- 131 Gabon 495,000 hectares compare
- 132 Mauritania 460,000 hectares compare
More environment data for Costa Rica
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.71 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.257 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.61 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.3048 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Costa Rica?
- Land use in Costa Rica was 544,348 hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 551,000 hectares in 2013.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 480,000 hectares in 1961.
- How does Costa Rica rank for land use?
- Costa Rica ranks 129th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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