Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 55.94 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica, 1963–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 55.94 for labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica peaked at 64.33 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 50.31, in 1973.
That places Costa Rica 153rd out of 210 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 53.81 | — |
| 1973 | 50.31 | -6.5% |
| 1984 | 50.58 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 57.35 | +13.4% |
| 1991 | 56.5 | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 55.66 | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 56.54 | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 57.02 | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 58.03 | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 55.97 | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 58.12 | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 59.69 | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 59.69 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 58.87 | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 61.04 | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 60.65 | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 61.01 | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 59.8 | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 62.07 | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 61.72 | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 62.58 | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 62.13 | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 61.5 | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 59.21 | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 60.62 | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 64.33 | +6.1% |
| 2013 | 63.66 | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 64.19 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 62.81 | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 59.69 | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 59.85 | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 62.21 | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 64.26 | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 60.63 | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 61.77 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 61.49 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 56.83 | -7.6% |
| 2024 | 57.69 | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 55.94 | -3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.81 | 53.81 | 53.81 | 1 |
| 1970s | 50.31 | 50.31 | 50.31 | 1 |
| 1980s | 50.58 | 50.58 | 50.58 | 1 |
| 1990s | 57.46 | 55.66 | 59.69 | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.14 | 58.87 | 62.58 | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.08 | 59.21 | 64.33 | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.06 | 55.94 | 61.77 | 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 labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica?
- Labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica was 55.94 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 64.33 in 2012.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.31 in 1973.
- How does Costa Rica rank for labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- Costa Rica ranks 153rd out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). 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. The labour force participation rate is the labour force as a percent of the working-age population. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.