Demographics of Costa Rica

This is my second post of Costa Rican basic information. This time the subject is the people of Costa Rica and its demographics. I hope it will give you an idea what ticos look like and what they believe in. If you have questions about anything you read on my post don't be afraid, just ask. Oh and I almost forgot: Happy New Year to all those writing and reading this blog! Even if it's a bit late. Sorry, but I had not posted before because I was on vacation in the Pacific Coast of my country. I may tell you about it later. Bye!

In 2005, Costa Rica had an estimated population of 4,016,173 persons. The majority of people in Costa Rica are descended from Spanish settlers.

In contrast to its neighboring countries populations, little mixing of the Spanish settlers and the indigenous populations occurred.

Therefore, a vast majority of Costa Ricans are either of Spanish or to a lesser extent of mixed mestizo heritage. In addition, there are significant numbers of Costa Ricans of Italian, German, Jewish, and Polish descent. Together, European and Mestizos descendants make up a full 94% of the population.

Just under 3% of the population is of black African descent who are called Afro-Costa Ricans and are English-speaking descendants of 19th century black Jamaican immigrant workers. Another 1% is composed of ethnic Chinese.

As of today, the indigenous population numbers around 1.7%, or around 50000 individuals. In Guanacaste Province, a significant portion of the population descends from a mix of local Amerindians, Africans and Spaniards. There is also a expatriate community of American and Canadian retirees.

Christianity is a major religion in Costa Rica. Some 92% of Costa Ricans are Christian. Like many other parts of Latin America, Protestant denominations have been enjoying rapid growth. However 3 in 4 Costa Ricans still adhere to Roman Catholicism. Due to small but recent immigration from Asia, the Middle East, and other places, new religions have sprung up. The most popular being Buddhism (due to a growing Chinese community of 40,000), with even smaller numbers of Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu adherents.