Forcibly displaced people in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Forcibly displaced people was 233,727 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in Costa Rica, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Costa Rica is 233,727, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 11.1% on the previous year and up 3,306.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Costa Rica peaked at 270,326 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 6,862, in 2015.
That places Costa Rica 59th out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forcibly displaced people in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 19,863 | — |
| 2011 | 20,495 | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 21,059 | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 21,147 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 22,477 | +6.3% |
| 2015 | 6,862 | -69.5% |
| 2016 | 7,788 | +13.5% |
| 2017 | 11,907 | +52.9% |
| 2018 | 37,126 | +211.8% |
| 2019 | 114,186 | +207.6% |
| 2020 | 121,738 | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 184,497 | +51.6% |
| 2022 | 270,326 | +46.5% |
| 2023 | 235,588 | -12.9% |
| 2024 | 262,804 | +11.6% |
| 2025 | 233,727 | -11.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 233,727 is above the median for high income countries, which is 51,316, 4.6× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 233,727 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15,910, 14.7× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +211.8% | 11,907 | 37,126 |
| 2019 | +207.6% | 37,126 | 114,186 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 28,291 | 6,862 | 114,186 | 10 |
| 2020s | 218,113 | 121,738 | 270,326 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More social development data for Costa Rica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 36,395 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 367 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 367 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0071 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in Costa Rica?
- Forcibly displaced people in Costa Rica was 233,727 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 270,326 in 2022.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,862 in 2015.
- How does Costa Rica rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Costa Rica ranks 59th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3,306.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.