Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 65.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Costa Rica, 1963–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Costa Rica is 65.1%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Costa Rica peaked at 69.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 19.3%, in 1963.
That places Costa Rica 149th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 19.3% | — |
| 1973 | 24.6% | +27.5% |
| 1984 | 28.0% | +13.8% |
| 1990 | 40.0% | +42.7% |
| 1991 | 41.6% | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 41.2% | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 41.9% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 43.4% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 43.8% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 43.3% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 46.5% | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 48.9% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 49.8% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 48.3% | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 52.9% | +9.3% |
| 2002 | 53.0% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 53.5% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 51.8% | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 55.9% | +7.9% |
| 2006 | 56.2% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 57.2% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 59.1% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 60.3% | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 58.9% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 61.7% | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 66.2% | +7.2% |
| 2013 | 66.9% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 66.2% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 65.8% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 62.3% | -5.4% |
| 2017 | 61.8% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 63.8% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 69.2% | +8.4% |
| 2020 | 66.6% | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 68.2% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 68.7% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 62.9% | -8.5% |
| 2024 | 65.8% | +4.6% |
| 2025 | 65.1% | -1.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 65.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 85.1%, 77% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 65.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 73.9%, 88% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +42.7% | 28.0% | 40.0% |
| 1973 | +27.5% | 19.3% | 24.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19.3% | 19.3% | 19.3% | 1 |
| 1970s | 24.6% | 24.6% | 24.6% | 1 |
| 1980s | 28.0% | 28.0% | 28.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 44.0% | 40.0% | 49.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.8% | 48.3% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.3% | 58.9% | 69.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.2% | 62.9% | 68.7% | 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 ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Costa Rica?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Costa Rica was 65.1% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 69.2% in 2019.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.3% in 1963.
- How does Costa Rica rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
- Costa Rica ranks 149th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate is the proportion of female labor force participation relative to male labor force participation. The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the population ages 15 and older. The labor force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed.