Brazil vs Costa Rica: Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Brazil
12.5%
in 2021
Costa Rica
13.0%
in 2021
Brazil rank
57th
Costa Rica rank
54th
Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time
- Brazil
- Costa Rica
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 13.0% against 12.5% in Brazil, a difference of 0.5%.
Across all 14 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Brazil ranks 57th and Costa Rica ranks 54th of 79 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | Costa Rica | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.4% | 14.1% | 2.6% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 12.3% | 14.0% | 1.7% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 13.0% | 0.5% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher public sector employment as a share of total employment, Brazil or Costa Rica?
- Costa Rica, at 13.0% against 12.5% in Brazil as of 2021.
- What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between Brazil and Costa Rica?
- 0.5%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and Costa Rica?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2021.
- How do Brazil and Costa Rica rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Brazil ranks 57th and Costa Rica ranks 54th of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.