Costa Rica vs Panama: Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults
Costa Rica
20.5%
in 2024
Panama
19.7%
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
49th
Panama rank
51st
Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults over time
- Costa Rica
- Panama
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 20.5% against 19.7% in Panama, a difference of 0.8%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Panama ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 49th and Panama ranks 51st of 188 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 | 31.0% | 22.2% | 8.8% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rate: young vs. older adults, Costa Rica or Panama?
- Costa Rica, at 20.5% against 19.7% in Panama as of 2024.
- What is the difference in unemployment rate: young vs. older adults between Costa Rica and Panama?
- 0.8%, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Panama?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and Panama rank globally for unemployment rate: young vs. older adults?
- Costa Rica ranks 49th and Panama ranks 51st of 188 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults. 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.