Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) was 11.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
11.6%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
75th
of 187 countries
All-time high
20.9%
in 1991
All-time low
8.6%
in 2013
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Costa Rica, 1991–2025

051015201991200820251991: 20.91992: 19.71993: 17.91994: 18.11995: 16.71996: 16.41997: 16.41998: 16.81999: 16.22000: 15.72001: 15.62002: 13.32003: 12.72004: 11.62005: 11.12006: 11.32007: 11.62008: 11.72009: 11.42010: 112011: 10.92012: 10.12013: 8.62014: 10.12015: 10.12016: 9.62017: 9.52018: 10.52019: 9.72020: 102021: 9.42022: 112023: 12.32024: 11.72025: 11.6

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 11.6% for employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Costa Rica peaked at 20.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 8.6%, in 2013.

Costa Rica ranks 75th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Costa Rica, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 20.9%
1992 19.7% -5.8%
1993 17.9% -8.7%
1994 18.1% +1.2%
1995 16.7% -8.0%
1996 16.4% -2.1%
1997 16.4% +0.3%
1998 16.8% +2.5%
1999 16.2% -3.6%
2000 15.7% -3.2%
2001 15.6% -0.5%
2002 13.3% -14.7%
2003 12.7% -4.3%
2004 11.6% -8.7%
2005 11.1% -4.4%
2006 11.3% +1.1%
2007 11.6% +3.3%
2008 11.7% +0.8%
2009 11.4% -2.5%
2010 11.0% -3.8%
2011 10.9% -0.8%
2012 10.1% -7.7%
2013 8.6% -14.2%
2014 10.1% +16.9%
2015 10.1% +0.1%
2016 9.6% -4.9%
2017 9.5% -1.2%
2018 10.5% +10.3%
2019 9.7% -7.3%
2020 10.0% +3.3%
2021 9.4% -6.5%
2022 11.0% +16.8%
2023 12.3% +12.2%
2024 11.7% -5.1%
2025 11.6% -0.8%

Costa Rica compared with similar countries

  • Costa Rica's 11.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.2%, 1.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
  • Costa Rica's 11.6% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 10.3%, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.7% 16.2% 20.9% 9
2000s 12.6% 11.1% 15.7% 10
2010s 10.0% 8.6% 11.0% 10
2020s 11.0% 9.4% 12.3% 6

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 72 Latvia 11.7% compare
  2. 73 Iraq 11.6% compare
  3. 74 South Africa 11.6% compare
  4. 76 Yemen 11.6% compare
  5. 77 Niger 11.5% compare
  6. 78 Mauritius 11.3% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Costa Rica?
Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Costa Rica was 11.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment in industry, female (% of female employment) recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 20.9% in 1991.
What is the lowest employment in industry, female (% of female employment) recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 8.6% in 2013.
How does Costa Rica rank for employment in industry, female (% of female employment)?
Costa Rica ranks 75th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment in industry, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-in-industry-female-percent-of-female-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).