Share of the population using the Internet in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share of the population using the Internet was 87.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population using the Internet in Costa Rica, 1990–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 87.2% for share of the population using the internet in 2024. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 64.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population using the internet in Costa Rica peaked at 87.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1990.
Costa Rica ranks 79th of 208 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population using the Internet in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.0% | — |
| 1992 | 0.0% | — |
| 1993 | 0.1% | +7242.3% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | +243.6% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | +48.9% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | +101.7% |
| 1997 | 1.6% | +95.0% |
| 1998 | 2.7% | +62.8% |
| 1999 | 3.9% | +46.1% |
| 2000 | 5.8% | +48.7% |
| 2001 | 9.6% | +64.8% |
| 2002 | 19.9% | +108.1% |
| 2003 | 20.3% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 20.8% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 22.1% | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 25.1% | +13.7% |
| 2007 | 28.4% | +13.1% |
| 2008 | 32.3% | +13.7% |
| 2009 | 34.3% | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 36.5% | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 39.2% | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 47.5% | +21.1% |
| 2013 | 46.0% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 53.0% | +15.3% |
| 2015 | 59.8% | +12.8% |
| 2016 | 65.9% | +10.2% |
| 2017 | 71.6% | +8.7% |
| 2018 | 73.5% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 81.2% | +10.5% |
| 2020 | 80.5% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 82.7% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 82.6% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 85.4% | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 87.2% | +2.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 87.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 93.1%, 94% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 87.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 79.9%, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of the population using the Internet 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +7242.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1994 | +243.6% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2002 | +108.1% | 9.6% | 19.9% |
| 1996 | +101.7% | 0.4% | 0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.0% | 3.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 21.9% | 5.8% | 34.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.4% | 36.5% | 81.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.7% | 80.5% | 87.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More science & technology data for Costa Rica
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 136.03 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.36 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 6.98 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 133.51 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 2.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents, gaps filled 438 (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 438 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population using the internet in Costa Rica?
- Share of the population using the internet in Costa Rica was 87.2% in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population using the internet recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 87.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population using the internet recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1990.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share of the population using the internet?
- Costa Rica ranks 79th out of 208 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population using the internet rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 64.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population who used the Internet in the last three months.