Languages spoken in Costa Rica
North America · Capital: San José · Population 5.3 million
The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish. An estimated 95% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 5 million people. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Spanish is also spoken in all two of its neighbours.
What languages are spoken in Costa Rica?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 95% | Official | 5 million |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Costa Rica?
The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 95% of the population, or roughly 5 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Spanish in Costa Rica?
An estimated 95% of Costa Rica's 5.3 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 5 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Costa Rica
- Capital
- San José
- Population
- 5.3 million
- Continent
- North America
- Area
- 51,100 km²
- Currency
- CRC
- Languages recorded
- 1
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- CR / CRI / 188
Which countries border Costa Rica?
Costa Rica shares a land border with two countries: Nicaragua and Panama. Spanish, the most widely spoken language in Costa Rica, is also spoken in Nicaragua and Panama.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.