Employment rate, men vs. women in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Employment rate, men vs. women was 65.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment rate, men vs. women in Costa Rica, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 65.4% for employment rate, men vs. women in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate, men vs. women in Costa Rica peaked at 77.4% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 63.5%, in 2020.
That places Costa Rica 95th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment rate, men vs. women in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 76.4% | — |
| 1992 | 76.5% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 77.3% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 77.3% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 77.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 74.5% | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 76.0% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 77.3% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 76.3% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 76.5% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 75.5% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 74.7% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 74.8% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 74.5% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 75.7% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 75.3% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 76.7% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 74.8% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 71.7% | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 70.4% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 69.3% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 71.6% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 71.1% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 72.0% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 70.6% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 68.9% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 69.5% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 70.6% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 69.8% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 63.5% | -9.1% |
| 2021 | 65.1% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 66.9% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 65.1% | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 65.4% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 65.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 76.6% | 74.5% | 77.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 75.0% | 71.7% | 76.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.4% | 68.9% | 72.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.2% | 63.5% | 66.9% | 6 |
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 employment rate, men vs. women in Costa Rica?
- Employment rate, men vs. women in Costa Rica was 65.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate, men vs. women recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 77.4% in 1995.
- What is the lowest employment rate, men vs. women recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.5% in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for employment rate, men vs. women?
- Costa Rica ranks 95th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate, men vs. women rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. 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, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate, men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the male working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.