Other people in need of international protection by country or in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Other people in need of international protection by country or was 19,120 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Other people in need of international protection by country or in Costa Rica, 2019–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 19,120 for other people in need of international protection by country or in 2025.
The figure is up 43.9% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.
That places Costa Rica 12th out of 21 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Other people in need of international protection by country or in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 20,828 | — |
| 2020 | 22,401 | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 21,766 | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 16,598 | -23.7% |
| 2023 | 18,448 | +11.1% |
| 2024 | 13,283 | -28.0% |
| 2025 | 19,120 | +43.9% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 19,120 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 20,833, 92% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 19,120 is above the median for high income countries, which is 15,295, 1.3× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 20,828 | 20,828 | 20,828 | 1 |
| 2020s | 18,603 | 13,283 | 22,401 | 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 other people in need of international protection by country or in Costa Rica?
- Other people in need of international protection by country or in Costa Rica was 19,120 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest other people in need of international protection by country or recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 22,401 in 2020.
- What is the lowest other people in need of international protection by country or recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 13,283 in 2024.
- How does Costa Rica rank for other people in need of international protection by country or?
- Costa Rica ranks 12th out of 21 countries with data for 2025.
- Is other people in need of international protection by country or rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Other people in need of international protection by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Other people in need of international protection refer to people who are outside their country or territory of origin, typically because they have been forcibly displaced across international borders, who have not been reported under other categories (including asylum-seekers and refugees) but who likely need international protection, including protection against forced return, as well as access to basic services on a temporary or longer-term basis.