Informal employment rate in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Informal employment rate was 36.11 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Informal employment rate in Costa Rica, 2010–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, informal employment rate in Costa Rica stood at 36.11. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment rate in Costa Rica peaked at 42.05 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 36.11, in 2025.
Costa Rica ranks 40th of 81 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Informal employment rate in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 37.85 | — |
| 2011 | 37.07 | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 39.11 | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 40.87 | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 41.22 | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 42.05 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 40.16 | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 40.73 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 40.92 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 41.85 | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 40.02 | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 41.31 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 39.87 | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 37.1 | -6.9% |
| 2024 | 37.38 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 36.11 | -3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 40.18 | 37.07 | 42.05 | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.63 | 36.11 | 41.31 | 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 informal employment rate in Costa Rica?
- Informal employment rate in Costa Rica was 36.11 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 42.05 in 2015.
- What is the lowest informal employment rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.11 in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for informal employment rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 40th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rate rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for informal employment is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.