El siguiente cuadro muestra la población que habita en cada uno de los cantones de Costa Rica, ordenados de mayor a menor. Los datos están basados en la información suministrada por el Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos de Costa Rica, para Agosto del 2001.
| Posición | Cantón | Provincia | Cantón No. | Área Km² | Total Hombres | Total Mujeres | Población Total | Densidad Población |
| 1 | San José | San José | 1 | 44,62 | 149.647 | 160.025 | 309.672 | 6.940,21 |
| 2 | Alajuela | Alajuela | 1 | 388,43 | 111.649 | 111.204 | 222.853 | 573,73 |
| 3 | Desamparados | San José | 3 | 118,26 | 94.514 | 98.964 | 193.478 | 1.636,04 |
| 4 | Cartago | Cartago | 1 | 287,77 | 65.418 | 66.639 | 132.057 | 458,90 |
| 5 | San Carlos | Alajuela | 10 | 3.347,98 | 64.803 | 62.337 | 127.140 | 37,98 |
| 6 | Pérez Zeledón | San José | 19 | 1.905,51 | 60.651 | 61.536 | 122.187 | 64,12 |
| 7 | Goicoechea | San José | 8 | 31,50 | 56.667 | 60.865 | 117.532 | 3.731,17 |
| 8 | Heredia | Heredia | 1 | 282,60 | 50.241 | 53.653 | 103.894 | 367,64 |
| 9 | Pococí | Limón | 2 | 2.403,49 | 53.440 | 49.681 | 103.121 | 42,90 |
| 10 | Puntarenas | Puntarenas | 1 | 1.842,33 | 52.248 | 50.256 | 102.504 | 55,64 |
| 11 | Limón | Limón | 1 | 1.765,79 | 45.280 | 44.653 | 89.933 | 50,93 |
| 12 | La Unión | Cartago | 3 | 44,83 | 39.625 | 40.654 | 80.279 | 1.790,74 |
| 13 | Tibás | San José | 13 | 8,15 | 34.416 | 37.658 | 72.074 | 8.843,44 |
| 14 | Alajuelita | San José | 10 | 21,17 | 34.728 | 35.569 | 70.297 | 3.320,60 |
| 15 | Turrialba | Cartago | 5 | 1.642,67 | 34.805 | 33.705 | 68.510 | 41,71 |
| 16 | San Ramón | Alajuela | 2 | 1.018,64 | 34.098 | 33.886 | 67.984 | 66,74 |
| 17 | Grecia | Alajuela | 3 | 395,72 | 32.703 | 32.416 | 65.119 | 164,56 |
| 18 | Curridabat | San José | 18 | 15,95 | 29.367 | 31.522 | 60.889 | 3.817,49 |
| 19 | Vázquez de Coronado | San José | 11 | 222,20 | 27.200 | 28.385 | 55.585 | 250,16 |
| 20 | Siquirres | Limón | 3 | 860,19 | 27.395 | 25.015 | 52.410 | 60,93 |
| 21 | Paraíso | Cartago | 2 | 411,91 | 26.265 | 26.128 | 52.393 | 127,20 |
| 22 | Escazú | San José | 2 | 34,49 | 25.420 | 26.952 | 52.372 | 1.518,47 |
| 23 | Montes de Oca | San José | 15 | 15,16 | 23.583 | 26.850 | 50.433 | 3.326,72 |
| 24 | Moravia | San José | 14 | 28,62 | 24.162 | 26.257 | 50.419 | 1.761,67 |
| 25 | Aserrí | San José | 6 | 167,10 | 24.681 | 24.638 | 49.319 | 295,15 |
| 26 | Liberia | Guanacaste | 1 | 1.436,47 | 22.965 | 23.738 | 46.703 | 32,51 |
| 27 | Sarapiquí | Heredia | 10 | 2.140,54 | 24.284 | 21.151 | 45.435 | 21,23 |
| 28 | Nicoya | Guanacaste | 2 | 1.333,68 | 21.114 | 21.075 | 42.189 | 31,63 |
| 29 | Santa Cruz | Guanacaste | 3 | 1.312,27 | 20.715 | 20.106 | 40.821 | 31,11 |
| 30 | Buenos Aires | Puntarenas | 3 | 2.384,22 | 20.797 | 19.342 | 40.139 | 16,84 |
| 31 | Coto Brus | Puntarenas | 8 | 933,91 | 20.430 | 19.652 | 40.082 | 42,92 |
| 32 | Oreamuno | Cartago | 7 | 202,31 | 19.435 | 19.597 | 39.032 | 192,93 |
| 33 | Upala | Alajuela | 13 | 1.580,67 | 19.579 | 18.100 | 37.679 | 23,84 |
| 34 | Naranjo | Alajuela | 6 | 126,62 | 18.723 | 18.879 | 37.602 | 296,97 |
| 35 | San Rafael | Heredia | 5 | 48,39 | 18.519 | 18.774 | 37.293 | 770,68 |
| 36 | Corredores | Puntarenas | 10 | 620,60 | 18.985 | 18.289 | 37.274 | 60,06 |
| 37 | Guácimo | Limón | 6 | 576,48 | 18.082 | 16.797 | 34.879 | 60,50 |
| 38 | Santo Domingo | Heredia | 3 | 24,84 | 17.228 | 17.520 | 34.748 | 1.398,87 |
| 39 | Santa Ana | San José | 9 | 61,42 | 16.897 | 17.610 | 34.507 | 561,82 |
| 40 | Golfito | Puntarenas | 7 | 1.753,96 | 17.523 | 16.300 | 33.823 | 19,28 |
| 41 | El Guarco | Cartago | 8 | 167,69 | 17.345 | 16.443 | 33.788 | 201,49 |
| 42 | Matina | Limón | 5 | 772,64 | 17.497 | 15.599 | 33.096 | 42,83 |
| 43 | Barva | Heredia | 2 | 53,80 | 16.030 | 16.410 | 32.440 | 602,97 |
| 44 | Palmares | Alajuela | 7 | 38,06 | 14.808 | 14.958 | 29.766 | 782,08 |
| 45 | Puriscal | San José | 4 | 553,66 | 14.834 | 14.573 | 29.407 | 53,11 |
| 46 | Santa Bárbara | Heredia | 4 | 53,21 | 14.642 | 14.539 | 29.181 | 548,41 |
| 47 | Carrillo | Guanacaste | 5 | 577,54 | 13.891 | 13.415 | 27.306 | 47,28 |
| 48 | Osa | Puntarenas | 5 | 1.930,24 | 13.625 | 12.236 | 25.861 | 13,40 |
| 49 | Talamanca | Limón | 4 | 2.809,93 | 13.705 | 12.152 | 25.857 | 9,20 |
| 50 | Poás | Alajuela | 8 | 73,84 | 12.518 | 12.246 | 24.764 | 335,37 |
| 51 | Cañas | Guanacaste | 6 | 682,20 | 12.247 | 11.829 | 24.076 | 35,29 |
| 52 | Esparza | Puntarenas | 2 | 216,80 | 11.997 | 11.966 | 23.963 | 110,53 |
| 53 | Atenas | Alajuela | 5 | 127,19 | 11.357 | 11.122 | 22.479 | 176,74 |
| 54 | Mora | San José | 7 | 162,04 | 10.839 | 10.827 | 21.666 | 133,71 |
| 55 | San Pablo | Heredia | 9 | 7,53 | 10.084 | 10.729 | 20.813 | 2.764,01 |
| 56 | Aguirre | Puntarenas | 6 | 543,77 | 10.581 | 9.607 | 20.188 | 37,13 |
| 57 | Belén | Heredia | 7 | 12,15 | 9.805 | 10.029 | 19.834 | 1.632,43 |
| 58 | Los Chiles | Alajuela | 14 | 1.358,86 | 10.377 | 9.355 | 19.732 | 14,52 |
| 59 | Acosta | San José | 12 | 342,24 | 9.708 | 8.953 | 18.661 | 54,53 |
| 60 | Tilarán | Guanacaste | 8 | 638,39 | 9.013 | 8.858 | 17.871 | 27,99 |
| 61 | La Cruz | Guanacaste | 10 | 1.383,90 | 8.350 | 8.155 | 16.505 | 11,93 |
| 62 | Abangares | Guanacaste | 7 | 675,76 | 8.361 | 7.915 | 16.276 | 24,09 |
| 63 | Valverde Vega | Alajuela | 12 | 120,25 | 8.005 | 8.234 | 16.239 | 135,04 |
| 64 | San Isidro | Heredia | 6 | 26,96 | 8.041 | 8.015 | 16.056 | 595,55 |
| 65 | Bagaces | Guanacaste | 4 | 1.273,49 | 8.153 | 7.819 | 15.972 | 12,54 |
| 66 | Orotina | Alajuela | 9 | 141,92 | 7.843 | 7.862 | 15.705 | 110,66 |
| 67 | Flores | Heredia | 8 | 6,96 | 7.433 | 7.605 | 15.038 | 2.160,63 |
| 68 | Tarrazú | San José | 5 | 297,50 | 7.138 | 7.022 | 14.160 | 47,60 |
| 69 | Jiménez | Cartago | 4 | 286,43 | 7.212 | 6.834 | 14.046 | 49,04 |
| 70 | Guatuso | Alajuela | 15 | 758,32 | 6.844 | 6.201 | 13.045 | 17,20 |
| 71 | Alvarado | Cartago | 6 | 81,06 | 6.252 | 6.038 | 12.290 | 151,62 |
| 72 | Parrita | Puntarenas | 9 | 478,79 | 6.258 | 5.854 | 12.112 | 25,30 |
| 73 | León Cortés | San José | 20 | 120,80 | 5.920 | 5.776 | 11.696 | 96,82 |
| 74 | Montes de Oro | Puntarenas | 4 | 244,76 | 5.565 | 5.594 | 11.159 | 45,59 |
| 75 | Alfaro Ruiz | Alajuela | 11 | 155,13 | 5.512 | 5.333 | 10.845 | 69,91 |
| 76 | Garabito | Puntarenas | 11 | 316,31 | 5.449 | 4.929 | 10.378 | 32,81 |
| 77 | Nandayure | Guanacaste | 9 | 565,59 | 5.145 | 4.840 | 9.985 | 17,65 |
| 78 | Hojancha | Guanacaste | 11 | 261,42 | 3.373 | 3.161 | 6.534 | 24,99 |
| 79 | Dota | San José | 17 | 400,22 | 3.277 | 3.242 | 6.519 | 16,29 |
| 80 | San Mateo | Alajuela | 4 | 125,90 | 2.752 | 2.591 | 5.343 | 42,44 |
| 81 | Turrubares | San José | 16 | 415,29 | 2.556 | 2.321 | 4.877 | 11,74 |
| Totales | 51.100,00 | 1.902.624 | 1.907.565 | 3.810.189 | 74,56 |