Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) was 77.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Costa Rica, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Costa Rica is 77.3%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Costa Rica peaked at 85.1% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 77.1%, in 2024.
That places Costa Rica 101st out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 85.1% | — |
| 1991 | 83.2% | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 82.7% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 83.7% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 83.5% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 84.7% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 82.3% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 83.4% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 84.5% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 83.6% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 83.9% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 83.5% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 83.2% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 83.7% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 82.9% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 83.9% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 83.2% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 83.9% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 82.5% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 81.8% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 79.8% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 80.0% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 81.8% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 81.0% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 82.3% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 80.8% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 79.1% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 79.6% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 81.5% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 81.7% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 79.0% | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 79.9% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 79.8% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 77.1% | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 77.1% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 77.3% | +0.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 77.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 80.2%, 96% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 77.3% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 80.2%, 96% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 83.7% | 82.3% | 85.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 83.2% | 81.8% | 83.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.8% | 79.1% | 82.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.4% | 77.1% | 79.9% | 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 labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Costa Rica?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) in Costa Rica was 77.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 85.1% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.1% in 2024.
- How does Costa Rica rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64)?
- Costa Rica ranks 101st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. 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 Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15-64 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.