Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force was 0.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Costa Rica, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Costa Rica is 0.4%, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 4.7% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Costa Rica peaked at 1.5% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2019.
That places Costa Rica 128th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.7% | — |
| 1991 | 0.7% | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 0.6% | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 0.6% | -3.9% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | +92.8% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | -11.3% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | -5.6% |
| 1999 | 1.0% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | +35.2% |
| 2002 | 1.5% | +16.1% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | -36.3% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | -45.8% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | +4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More work & labour data for Costa Rica
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.9952 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.9977 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.61 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,205 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 569.35 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,908 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,868 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,776 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Costa Rica?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force in Costa Rica was 0.4% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 1.5% in 2002.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2019.
- How does Costa Rica rank for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force?
- Costa Rica ranks 128th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.