Employment to population ratio in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Employment to population ratio was 53.71 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
53.71
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
125th
of 186 countries
All-time high
58.73
in 2014
All-time low
50.67
in 2020
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio in Costa Rica, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, employment to population ratio in Costa Rica stood at 53.71.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio in Costa Rica peaked at 58.73 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 50.67, in 2020.
Costa Rica ranks 125th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Employment to population ratio in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 53.47 | — |
| 1992 | 53.47 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 54.31 | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 54.71 | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 55.02 | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 52.52 | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 54.83 | +4.4% |
| 1998 | 56.51 | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 56.17 | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 55.88 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 56.59 | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 55.94 | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 56.05 | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 55.07 | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 57.17 | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 57.05 | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 58.63 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 57.9 | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 55.75 | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 54.97 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 54.85 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 58.47 | +6.6% |
| 2013 | 58.43 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 58.73 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 57.52 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 54.86 | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 55.22 | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 56.6 | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 57.32 | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 50.67 | -11.6% |
| 2021 | 52.42 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 54.53 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 52.1 | -4.5% |
| 2024 | 53.69 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 53.71 | +0.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 53.71 is below the median for high income countries, which is 58.89, 91% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 53.71 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 58.14, 92% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 54.56 | 52.52 | 56.51 | 9 |
| 2000s | 56.6 | 55.07 | 58.63 | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.7 | 54.85 | 58.73 | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.85 | 50.67 | 54.53 | 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 to population ratio in Costa Rica?
- Employment to population ratio in Costa Rica was 53.71 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 58.73 in 2014.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.67 in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for employment to population ratio?
- Costa Rica ranks 125th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio. 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).