Costa Rica vs Panama: Youth unemployment rate
Costa Rica
19.9%
in 2025
Panama
19.8%
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
50th
Panama rank
51st
Youth unemployment rate over time
- Costa Rica
- Panama
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 19.9% against 19.8% in Panama, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Panama ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 50th and Panama ranks 51st of 186 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 3 and Panama in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Panama | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.7% | 13.5% | 2.8% | Panama |
| 2000s | 14.0% | 13.5% | 0.5% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 22.9% | 12.6% | 10.3% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 29.1% | 21.8% | 7.3% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher youth unemployment rate, Costa Rica or Panama?
- Costa Rica, at 19.9% against 19.8% in Panama as of 2025.
- What is the difference in youth unemployment rate between Costa Rica and Panama?
- 0.1%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Panama?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Panama rank globally for youth unemployment rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 50th and Panama ranks 51st of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Youth unemployment rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the labor force aged 15-24 without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.