Panama vs Costa Rica

Panama

Costa Rica

Equal-area projection, same scale · Natural Earth 1:50m

Population ✓Area ✓Population density ✓GDP (nominal) ✓GDP per capita (PPP) ✓Exports ✓Unemployment ✓Life expectancy ✓Median age ✓Birth rate ✓Urban population ✓

Population

Natural Earth · 2019

Panama4,246,439Costa Rica5,047,561Costa Rica is 1.2× more populous

Area

computed · ≈

Panama≈ 73,935 km²Costa Rica≈ 51,303 km²Panama is 1.4× larger

Population density

derived

Panama≈ 57 / km²Costa Rica≈ 98 / km²Costa Rica is 1.7× denser

GDP (nominal)

CIA World Factbook · 2024 est.

Panama$86.26 billionCosta Rica$95.35 billionCosta Rica is 1.1× larger

GDP per capita (PPP)

CIA World Factbook · 2024 est.

Panama$36,400Costa Rica$27,000Panama is 1.3× higher

Exports

CIA World Factbook · 2024 est.

Panama$37.38 billionCosta Rica$36.77 billionNearly equal — Panama +1.6%

Unemployment

CIA World Factbook · 2024 est.

Panama6.6%Costa Rica7.9%Costa Rica is higher by 1.3 points

Life expectancy

CIA World Factbook · 2024 est.

Panama79.2 yearsCosta Rica80.3 yearsCosta Rica is higher by 1.1 years

Median age

CIA World Factbook · 2025 est.

Panama31.7 yearsCosta Rica36 yearsCosta Rica is higher by 4.3 years

Birth rate

CIA World Factbook · 2025 est.

Panama17.11 per 1,000Costa Rica10.86 per 1,000Panama is higher by 6.25 per 1,000

Urban population

CIA World Factbook · 2023

Panama69.5%Costa Rica82.6%Costa Rica is higher by 13.1 points