Employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people was 42.53 persons per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
42.53 persons per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
26th
of 78 countries
All-time high
47.49 persons per 1,000 people
in 2009
All-time low
35.95 persons per 1,000 people
in 2020
Years of data
9
2008–2023
Employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people in Costa Rica, 2008–2023
Source: UN Tourism (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in persons per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people in Costa Rica stood at 42.53 persons per 1,000 people.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people in Costa Rica peaked at 47.49 persons per 1,000 people in 2009 and was at its lowest, 35.95 persons per 1,000 people, in 2020.
That places Costa Rica 26th out of 78 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | persons per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 46.99 persons per 1,000 people | — |
| 2009 | 47.49 persons per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 42.01 persons per 1,000 people | -11.5% |
| 2018 | 44.1 persons per 1,000 people | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 47.35 persons per 1,000 people | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 35.95 persons per 1,000 people | -24.1% |
| 2021 | 39.45 persons per 1,000 people | +9.7% |
| 2022 | 43.43 persons per 1,000 people | +10.1% |
| 2023 | 42.53 persons per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 42.53 persons per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.29 persons per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 42.53 persons per 1,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.69 persons per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.24 persons per 1,000 people | 46.99 persons per 1,000 people | 47.49 persons per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2010s | 44.49 persons per 1,000 people | 42.01 persons per 1,000 people | 47.35 persons per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 2020s | 40.34 persons per 1,000 people | 35.95 persons per 1,000 people | 43.43 persons per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 23 Latvia 44.52 persons per 1,000 people compare
- 24 Brunei Darussalam 43.31 persons per 1,000 people compare
- 25 Japan 42.98 persons per 1,000 people compare
- 27 Cyprus 40.22 persons per 1,000 people compare
- 28 Croatia 40.03 persons per 1,000 people compare
- 29 Brazil 38.8 persons per 1,000 people compare
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 in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people in Costa Rica?
- Employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people in Costa Rica was 42.53 persons per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN Tourism (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 47.49 persons per 1,000 people in 2009.
- What is the lowest employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.95 persons per 1,000 people in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people?
- Costa Rica ranks 26th out of 78 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people working in tourism-related industries per 1,000 people in the country's population.