Costa Rica vs Mexico: Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Costa Rica
13.0%
in 2021
Mexico
13.7%
in 2020
Costa Rica rank
54th
Mexico rank
53rd
Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time
- Costa Rica
- Mexico
How they compare
Mexico currently reports 13.7% against 13.0% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.7%.
That makes Mexico's figure about 1.1 times Costa Rica's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Costa Rica ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 54th and Mexico ranks 53rd of 79 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Mexico | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.1% | 13.5% | 0.6% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 13.7% | 12.3% | 1.5% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 14.8% | 13.7% | 1.1% | 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, Costa Rica or Mexico?
- Mexico, at 13.7% against 13.0% in Costa Rica as of 2020.
- What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between Costa Rica and Mexico?
- 0.7%, with Mexico ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Mexico?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Costa Rica and Mexico rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Costa Rica ranks 54th and Mexico ranks 53rd 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.