Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population) was 50.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force with basic education in Costa Rica, 2001–2025
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total working-age population with basic education.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 50.0% for labor force with basic education in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force with basic education in Costa Rica peaked at 62.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 50.0%, in 2025.
Costa Rica ranks 61st of 125 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of total working-age population with basic education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 58.8% | — |
| 2002 | 58.7% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 58.4% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 56.7% | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 59.5% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 58.7% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 59.4% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 60.3% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 59.9% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 56.8% | -5.2% |
| 2011 | 57.9% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 62.4% | +7.7% |
| 2013 | 61.1% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 61.3% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 60.9% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 56.7% | -6.8% |
| 2017 | 57.4% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 60.4% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 61.1% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 57.6% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 57.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 57.6% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 53.1% | -7.8% |
| 2024 | 52.7% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 50.0% | -5.2% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 50.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 41.5%, 1.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 50.0% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 56.3%, 89% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 58.9% | 56.7% | 60.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 59.6% | 56.7% | 62.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.7% | 50.0% | 57.6% | 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 with basic education in Costa Rica?
- Labor force with basic education in Costa Rica was 50.0% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force with basic education recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 62.4% in 2012.
- What is the lowest labor force with basic education recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.0% in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for labor force with basic education?
- Costa Rica ranks 61st out of 125 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force with basic education rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The ratio of the labor force with basic education to the working-age population with basic education. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).