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Sub-region of Americas · Country Index 2026

Central America

How are the countries of Central America doing?

Half of Central America’s 8 placed countries sit at or above 80th of 183 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 8th of 22 sub-regions. Costa Rica is placed highest, 40th; Nicaragua lowest, 134th. None reaches the world’s top fifth.

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Central AmericaUN M49 013

Central America, shown in red on a map of the world

80th

median position of 183 · 8th of 22 sub-regions

Americas →median 81st

01Who is in it

The countries of Central America

Alphabetical, with each country’s own banner photograph. The position is its place in the whole world ranking, never within the region.

02The region

About Central America

The isthmus from Mexico to Panama, bridging the two continents.

In the UN’s classification Central America runs from Mexico to Panama, the land bridge between North and South America. Volcanic mountains form its spine, with the Pacific on one side and the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, and the Panama Canal cuts through its narrowest part.

The region was the heartland of the Maya and, further north, of the Aztecs. Spain ruled most of it from the sixteenth century until the independence movements of the early nineteenth, and Belize became independent from Britain in 1981. Spanish is the most widely spoken language, and many Indigenous languages, among them Nahuatl and the Mayan languages, are still spoken.

03Where

Central America on the map

Each member shaded by its position in the Country Index 2026, darkest for the best placed; the countries across its land borders in grey. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its profile.

Country Index position: 1st183rdMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks

04Country Index 2026

Where Central America’s countries place

Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 183, never a second list within the region; “=” marks a position shared with another country. Hover the ⓘ for where a country would sit if any one key statistic were dropped.

The full Country Index 2026
Central America’s 8 placed countries by their Country Index 2026 position, best placed first.
In regionCountryIn the world1st183rd
1Costa Rica40 / 183between 38th and 42nd if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
2Panama69 / 183between 59th and 78th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
3Mexico73 / 183between 65th and 76th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
4Belize80 / 183between 78th and 94th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
5El Salvador111 / 183between 107th and 117th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
6Guatemala118 / 183between 115th and 119th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
7Honduras122 / 183between 118th and 126th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
8Nicaragua134 / 183between 128th and 144th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics

Central America among the 22 sub-regions with a median

8th of 22. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

  1. Western Europe8thPlaced countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 19th.
  2. Northern Europe11thPlaced countries run from Denmark 2nd to Latvia 26th.
  3. Australia and New Zealand17thPlaced countries run from Australia 17th to New Zealand 19th.
  4. Northern America24thPlaced countries run from Canada 24th to United States 37th.
  5. Southern Europe31stPlaced countries run from Slovenia 14th to Bosnia and Herzegovina 62nd.
  6. Eastern Asia42ndPlaced countries run from South Korea 13th to Mongolia 75th.
  7. Eastern Europe43rdPlaced countries run from Czechia 10th to Russia 73rd.
  8. Central America80thPlaced countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 134th.
  9. Caribbean81stPlaced countries run from Barbados 67th to Haiti 173rd.
  10. South America83rdPlaced countries run from Uruguay 35th to Venezuela 133rd.
  11. South-eastern Asia86thPlaced countries run from Singapore 25th to Myanmar 159th.
  12. Polynesia89thPlaced countries run from Samoa 89th to Tonga 97th.
  13. Western Asia95thPlaced countries run from Cyprus 33rd to Yemen 181st.
  14. Central Asia102ndPlaced countries run from Kazakhstan 61st to Turkmenistan 158th.
  15. Southern Asia106thPlaced countries run from Bhutan 52nd to Afghanistan 175th.
  16. Melanesia107thPlaced countries run from Fiji 64th to Papua New Guinea 144th.
  17. Micronesia109thPlaced countries run from Kiribati 109th to Kiribati 109th.
  18. Northern Africa116thPlaced countries run from Tunisia 104th to Sudan 179th.
  19. Southern Africa121stPlaced countries run from South Africa 93rd to Eswatini 147th.
  20. Western Africa148thPlaced countries run from Cabo Verde 94th to Guinea-Bissau 171st.
  21. Eastern Africa153rdPlaced countries run from Mauritius 45th to South Sudan 183rd.
  22. Middle Africa166thPlaced countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 115th to Chad 180th.
  23. Americas, the whole continent81st
  24. The world’s midpoint91st
1st183rdmedian

The square is each region’s median position; the grey bar runs from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country. Hover a row for their names.

05By subject

Topic by topic

Every country’s position on each topic, its shade darker the higher it sits in that topic’s field; select a cell for the country’s page on the topic. Strongest for Central America: Energy, 5th of 21 sub-regions. Weakest: Education & Knowledge, 19th of 22.

All topics
Central America: each country’s position on each topic, with the region’s median and its place among sub-regions.
EnergyEnvironment & SustainabilityEconomy & InnovationWork & LabourHealth & WellbeingFood & AgricultureGender & EqualityPeace & SecurityGovernance & InstitutionsDemocracy & Civil LibertiesDevelopment & Human CapitalDigital & TechnologyPoverty & InequalityMobility & TradeRisk & ResilienceEducation & KnowledgeMoney & Public FinancePeople & Population
Costa Rica12 of 16584 of 18657 of 17692 of 18260 of 20080 of 1845 of 1832 of 17732 of 19431 of 19870 of 19667 of 198110 of 15984 of 177104 of 19353 of 198No standingNo standing
Panama42 of 16558 of 18663 of 176146 of 18287 of 20061 of 18467 of 18350 of 17783 of 19460 of 19869 of 196100 of 198130 of 15964 of 177141 of 193152 of 198No standingNo standing
MexicoNo standing148 of 18659 of 17667 of 18283 of 20061 of 18489 of 183117 of 177101 of 194126 of 19872 of 19674 of 19897 of 15955 of 177142 of 19324 of 198No standingNo standing
Belize21 of 16548 of 18676 of 176134 of 18292 of 200109 of 18456 of 18311 of 177111 of 194101 of 198120 of 196148 of 19875 of 159152 of 177110 of 193152 of 198No standingNo standing
El Salvador33 of 165106 of 18688 of 17650 of 182107 of 20090 of 18474 of 183107 of 177139 of 194141 of 198128 of 196120 of 198115 of 159130 of 177136 of 193156 of 198No standingNo standing
Guatemala66 of 16528 of 18695 of 17672 of 182156 of 200108 of 184111 of 18385 of 17791 of 194118 of 198144 of 196121 of 198133 of 159113 of 177167 of 193147 of 198No standingNo standing
Honduras77 of 16537 of 186115 of 17678 of 182132 of 200142 of 18491 of 18391 of 177129 of 194130 of 198126 of 196136 of 198131 of 159128 of 177154 of 193151 of 198No standingNo standing
Nicaragua73 of 16515 of 186119 of 17678 of 18290 of 200No standing87 of 183132 of 177181 of 194193 of 198135 of 196150 of 198138 of 159147 of 177116 of 193146 of 198No standingNo standing
Region median42nd of 16548th of 18676th of 17678th of 18290th of 20090th of 18474th of 18385th of 177101st of 194118th of 198120th of 196120th of 198115th of 159113th of 177136th of 193147th of 198——
Among sub-regions5th of 216th of 218th of 219th of 2111th of 2212th of 2212th of 2113th of 2014th of 2215th of 2215th of 2216th of 2217th of 2118th of 2218th of 2219th of 22——

Columns run from the topic where Central America places best among sub-regions to the one where it places lowest. A region’s median on a topic needs at least two members with a standing; a hatched cell has no standing.

06In numbers

Central America in 6 numbers

Each line is every country in the world at its published value; Central America’s countries are the red ticks, and the dashed line is the world median. There is no regional average: a region has countries, not a life expectancy of its own.

All statistics

  • Population

    people · log scale

    UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · 222 countries · no better end

    BelizePanamaCosta RicaEl SalvadorNicaraguaGuatemalaMexico496world median 6,541,4131,438,069,596

  • Land area

    km²

    FAO · 2024 · 221 countries · no better end

    No reading: Nicaragua

    El SalvadorBelizeCosta RicaPanamaMexico0.4world median 87,58916,376,870

  • GDP per person

    international $, PPP · log scale

    World Bank Group · 2025 · 185 countries · higher is better

    HondurasNicaraguaEl SalvadorBelizeGuatemalaMexicoCosta RicaPanama1,067world median 17,265139,593

  • Life expectancy

    years at birth

    UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · 222 countries · higher is better

    El SalvadorGuatemalaHondurasBelizeMexicoPanamaCosta Rica54.46world median 74.6386.37

  • Human development

    HDI, 0–1

    UNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · 193 countries · higher is better

    HondurasGuatemalaEl SalvadorNicaraguaBelizeMexicoCosta RicaPanama0.388world median 0.7620.972

  • Unemployment

    % of the labour force

    ILO · 2025 · 182 countries · lower is better

    GuatemalaMexicoEl SalvadorHondurasCosta RicaPanamaBelize0.13world median 5.08434.2
Every value for Central America’s countries
CountryPopulation 2023Land area 2024GDP per person 2025Life expectancy 2023Human development 2023Unemployment 2025
Belize411,106rank 17522,810rank 14812,789rank 11273.57rank 1220.721rank 1158.856rank 43
Costa Rica5,105,525rank 12550,560rank 12628,443rank 6680.8rank 460.833rank 626.843rank 59
El Salvador6,309,624rank 11220,720rank 15012,050rank 11572.1rank 1380.678rank 1323.303rank 132
Guatemala18,124,838rank 69107,160rank 10212,987rank 11172.6rank 1320.662rank 1372.604rank 157
Honduras10,644,851rank 88111,890rank 1006,726rank 13972.88rank 1280.645rank 1394.92rank 99
Mexico129,739,759rank 101,943,950rank 1321,912rank 7975.07rank 1080.789rank 812.673rank 155
Nicaragua6,823,613rank 109—7,933rank 13174.95rank 1090.706rank 1235.04rank 95
Panama4,458,759rank 12974,180rank 11537,516rank 5279.59rank 550.839rank 598.36rank 47

07In records

Central America in records

The member at the extreme of each statistic, read from its newest edition. Where two members share the top, no record is named.

08Latest editions

Who rose and fell in the published ranks

The moves of Central America’s countries between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.

Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.

Improved most

rank before → after
  1. Costa Rica65 → 62+3
  2. Mexico84 → 81+3
  3. Belize118 → 115+3

Declined most

rank before → after
  1. Panama57 → 59−2
  2. Guatemala136 → 137−1
Every country in the Human Development Index

09In context

Across the border

The countries outside Central America that share a land border with one of its members, with their world positions, and the sub-regions they belong to. Land borders only, as drawn on the map.

Northern America

South America

The neighbouring sub-regions

10Keep reading

Explore further

All regions

The rest of Americas

11Method

Questions, method and sources

Which countries are in Central America?

8 countries and territories: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification.

Which country in Central America is placed highest?

Costa Rica, placed 40th of 183 in the Country Index 2026. Nicaragua is placed lowest, 134th. 8 of the region’s 8 countries and territories are placed; the rest hold standings on too few topics.

How does Central America compare with other regions?

Half of its 8 placed countries sit at or above 80th of 183, which places it 8th of 22 sub-regions. The median across Americas is 81st. The middle of the whole field is 91st. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

How many people live in Central America?

181,618,075 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for its 8 countries and territories.

What is the largest country in Central America?

By land area, Mexico: 1,943,950 square kilometres (2024). By population, Mexico: 129,739,759 people (2023).

How a region’s figure is made
  1. Membership. Countries belong to regions by the United Nations’ M49 classification; each country declares its sub-region, and a continent is the sum of its sub-regions.
  2. Positions. Each country’s position is its Country Index 2026 result, unchanged. This page slices the world ranking by place; it does not re-rank anyone.
  3. The median. A region’s figure is the median of its placed countries’ positions: half sit at or above it, half below. With an even number of placed countries it takes the better of the two middle positions, since there is no country at a half place. Countries the index does not place are named, never counted in.
  4. A place among peers. Continents are compared with continents and sub-regions with sub-regions, never a part with the whole that contains it; regions sharing a median share a place. Nothing is weighted by population or size, and population and land area are the only figures ever added up.

Where the regions come from

United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). M49’s middle level (Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean) is left out, so every sub-region sits directly under its continent. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus and Somaliland are not in M49 and are placed by geography.

Where the positions come from

Every position is a country’s result in the Country Index 2026 or one of its topics, unchanged. The population and land-area figures are the UN DESA Population Division’s and the FAO’s, added up and shown with their year; every other statistic names its publisher beside its numbers.

Photographs

Each country’s own banner from its profile: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Central America: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/central-america

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