La Nación
Costa Rica's leading newspaper and news website.
La Nación at a glance
La Nación is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in Costa Rica, currently ranked #1 in the country. It was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in San José, Costa Rica. Today La Nación is owned by Grupo Nación. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 10 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through advertising, digital subscriptions, print sales. Its closest rivals include crhoy.com, teletica.com.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 9.4 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 9.7 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 10 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 10.6 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct37%
- Organic search34%
- Social18%
- News aggregators8%
- Email3%
Audience & demographics
- Men55%
- Women45%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5423%
- Age 25-3422%
The audience is concentrated in Costa Rica, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- Costa Rica86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 3 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- Costa Rica
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| la nación | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| breaking news | Top 10 | High | — |
| today's headlines | Top 10 | High | — |
| live coverage | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the Costa Rica web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 79% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading news & media apps in Costa Rica
Company information
- Website
- nacion.com
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Grupo Nación
- Owner type
- Public company
- Founded
- 1946
- Headquarters
- San José, Costa Rica
- Employees
- 500+
- Ownership
- Grupo Nación controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Languages
- Spanish
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- Not publicly disclosed
- Ownership
- Public company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
La Nación operates a news and media publisher focused on Costa Rica. Costa Rica's leading newspaper and news website. Revenue comes mainly from advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Advertising
- Digital subscriptions
- Print sales
International presence
- Primary market
- Costa Rica
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (Costa Rica)
- #1 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in Costa Rica
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| crhoy.com | ≈ 6 million / month | #2 class competitor | — |
| teletica.com | ≈ 4.5 million / month | #3 class competitor | — |
What is La Nación?
La Nación (nacion.com) is a news and media publisher serving users in Costa Rica. Costa Rica's leading newspaper and news website. It ranks #1 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns La Nación?
The site is operated by Grupo Nación. The company was established in 1946 and is headquartered in San José, Costa Rica. It employs around 500+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place La Nación at roughly 10 million visits per month, about 0.3 million per day. Around 79% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 3.1 pages per visit with an average session of 3 min.
How La Nación makes money
Revenue comes primarily from advertising, alongside digital subscriptions, print sales.
Competitors in Costa Rica
Its closest rivals include crhoy.com, teletica.com.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 1946
La Nación is founded in San José, Costa Rica.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #1 among the most visited websites in Costa Rica.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad daily news coverage with national reach
- Fast breaking-news publishing
- Free access to most articles
- Strong presence in search and social
Cons
- Heavy advertising load on article pages
- Editorial line criticised by parts of the audience
- Clickbait headlines on high-traffic sections
- Paywall limits on premium content
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns La Nación?
La Nación is operated by Grupo Nación. Public company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is La Nación headquartered?
La Nación is headquartered in San José, Costa Rica.
When was La Nación founded?
La Nación was founded in 1946.
How many employees does La Nación have?
La Nación employs approximately 500+ people.
What is La Nación's revenue?
La Nación does not publish standalone revenue; income comes from advertising, digital subscriptions, print sales.
Who are La Nación's competitors?
Main competitors in Costa Rica include crhoy.com, teletica.com.
How does La Nación make money?
Mainly advertising, digital subscriptions, print sales.
Is La Nación publicly traded?
La Nación's ownership: Public company.
How many visitors does La Nación get?
Third-party estimates place La Nación at roughly 10 million visits per month, mostly from Costa Rica, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is La Nación safe?
La Nación is an established news & media site founded in 1946 and ranked #1 in Costa Rica; use the official domain nacion.com and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsnacion.com
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageCosta Rica and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos