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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 81st of 178 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 11th of 21 sub-regions. Costa Rica is placed highest, 40th; Nicaragua lowest, 134th. None reaches the world’s top fifth.

Central AmericaUN M49 013

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

81st

median position of 178 · 11th of 21 sub-regions

Americas →median 78th

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: 1st178thMember, 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 178, 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 world1st178th
1Costa Rica40 / 178between 37th and 43rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
2Panama60 / 178between 52nd and 67th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
3Mexico74 / 178between 72nd and 87th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
4Belize81 / 178between 72nd and 96th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
5El Salvador108 / 178between 104th and 114th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
6Guatemala113 / 178between 108th and 116th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
7Honduras118 / 178between 113th and 123rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
8Nicaragua134 / 178between 129th and 143rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics

Central America among the 21 sub-regions with a median

11th of 21. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

  1. Northern Europe6thPlaced countries run from Denmark 2nd to Latvia 25th.
  2. Western Europe10thPlaced countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 19th.
  3. Australia and New Zealand17thPlaced countries run from New Zealand 17th to Australia 24th.
  4. Northern America17thPlaced countries run from Canada 17th to United States 37th.
  5. Eastern Asia23rdPlaced countries run from South Korea 14th to Mongolia 73rd.
  6. Southern Europe32ndPlaced countries run from Slovenia 12th to Bosnia and Herzegovina 63rd.
  7. Eastern Europe39thPlaced countries run from Czechia 11th to Russia 68th.
  8. Polynesia70thPlaced countries run from Samoa 70th to Tonga 85th.
  9. South America74thPlaced countries run from Uruguay 34th to Venezuela 137th.
  10. Caribbean78thPlaced countries run from Barbados 63rd to Haiti 169th.
  11. Central America81stPlaced countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 134th.
  12. Western Asia93rdPlaced countries run from Cyprus 35th to Yemen 176th.
  13. South-eastern Asia95thPlaced countries run from Singapore 26th to Myanmar 153rd.
  14. Central Asia100thPlaced countries run from Kazakhstan 60th to Turkmenistan 148th.
  15. Southern Asia100thPlaced countries run from Bhutan 44th to Afghanistan 172nd.
  16. Melanesia106thPlaced countries run from Fiji 62nd to Papua New Guinea 138th.
  17. Southern Africa116thPlaced countries run from South Africa 102nd to Eswatini 140th.
  18. Northern Africa127thPlaced countries run from Tunisia 107th to Libya 174th.
  19. Eastern Africa143rdPlaced countries run from Mauritius 46th to Somalia 177th.
  20. Western Africa144thPlaced countries run from Cabo Verde 74th to Guinea-Bissau 168th.
  21. Middle Africa161stPlaced countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 104th to Chad 175th.
  22. Micronesia—
  23. Americas, the whole continent78th
  24. The world’s midpoint88th
1st178thmedian

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: Environment & Sustainability, 5th of 21 sub-regions. Weakest: Poverty & Inequality, 18th of 21.

All topics
Central America: each country’s position on each topic, with the region’s median and its place among sub-regions.
Environment & SustainabilityEnergyEconomy & InnovationWork & LabourGender & EqualityHealth & WellbeingDigital & TechnologyPeace & SecurityGovernance & InstitutionsMobility & TradeDemocracy & Civil LibertiesDevelopment & Human CapitalFood & AgricultureRisk & ResilienceEducation & KnowledgePoverty & InequalityMoney & Public FinancePeople & Population
Costa Rica71 of 18113 of 19357 of 17692 of 1824 of 18365 of 20058 of 1982 of 17732 of 19461 of 14738 of 19870 of 19680 of 17598 of 192101 of 171116 of 159No standingNo standing
Panama41 of 18147 of 19363 of 176146 of 18265 of 18383 of 20095 of 19850 of 17783 of 19452 of 14771 of 19869 of 19652 of 175122 of 192109 of 171130 of 159No standingNo standing
Mexico130 of 181104 of 19359 of 17667 of 18287 of 18385 of 20072 of 198117 of 177101 of 19433 of 147134 of 19872 of 19668 of 175136 of 19244 of 171112 of 159No standingNo standing
Belize20 of 18119 of 19376 of 176134 of 18244 of 183102 of 200150 of 19811 of 177111 of 194136 of 14780 of 198120 of 196120 of 175121 of 192120 of 17181 of 159No standingNo standing
El Salvador76 of 18140 of 19388 of 17650 of 18272 of 183110 of 200106 of 198107 of 177139 of 194111 of 147135 of 198128 of 19699 of 175129 of 192126 of 171118 of 159No standingNo standing
Guatemala50 of 18173 of 19395 of 17672 of 182110 of 183155 of 20099 of 19885 of 17791 of 19492 of 147114 of 198144 of 19699 of 175155 of 192124 of 171142 of 159No standingNo standing
Honduras49 of 18187 of 193115 of 17678 of 18290 of 183132 of 200135 of 19891 of 177129 of 19493 of 147131 of 198126 of 196121 of 175166 of 192115 of 171146 of 159No standingNo standing
Nicaragua26 of 18183 of 193119 of 17678 of 18287 of 18387 of 200140 of 198132 of 177181 of 194127 of 147190 of 198135 of 196No standing128 of 192125 of 171138 of 159No standingNo standing
Region median49th of 18147th of 19376th of 17678th of 18272nd of 18387th of 20099th of 19885th of 177101st of 19492nd of 147114th of 198120th of 19699th of 175128th of 192115th of 171118th of 159——
Among sub-regions5th of 216th of 228th of 219th of 2110th of 2110th of 2212th of 2213th of 2014th of 2214th of 2115th of 2215th of 2216th of 2116th of 2218th of 2118th of 21——

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 178 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 81st of 178, which places it 11th of 21 sub-regions. The median across Americas is 78th. The middle of the whole field is 88th. 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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