SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees was 3,184 in 2025. ▲ Rising
SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in Costa Rica, 2000–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in Costa Rica stood at 3,184.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and up 20.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in Costa Rica peaked at 4,403 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 689, in 2000.
Costa Rica ranks 13th of 68 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 689 | — |
| 2002 | 730.3 | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 793 | +8.6% |
| 2006 | 1,017 | +28.3% |
| 2007 | 1,222 | +20.1% |
| 2008 | 1,735 | +42.0% |
| 2009 | 2,028 | +16.9% |
| 2010 | 1,925 | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 2,139 | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 2,217 | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 2,382 | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 2,514 | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 2,634 | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 2,716 | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 3,280 | +20.8% |
| 2018 | 3,191 | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 3,731 | +16.9% |
| 2020 | 4,403 | +18.0% |
| 2021 | 3,365 | -23.6% |
| 2022 | 3,253 | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 3,054 | -6.1% |
| 2024 | 3,193 | +4.6% |
| 2025 | 3,184 | -0.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 3,184 is above the median for high income countries, which is 32.71, 97.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 3,184 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 122.32, 26.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,173 | 689 | 2,028 | 7 |
| 2010s | 2,673 | 1,925 | 3,731 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,409 | 3,054 | 4,403 | 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 sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in Costa Rica?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in Costa Rica was 3,184 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 4,403 in 2020.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 689 in 2000.
- How does Costa Rica rank for sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees?
- Costa Rica ranks 13th out of 68 countries with data for 2025.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.9%. 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 SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. This indicator presents data by sex on employees' average hourly earnings. The concept of earnings, as applied in wage statistics, relates to gross remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as annual vacation, other type of paid leave or holidays. Earnings exclude employers' contributions in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received by employees under these schemes. Earnings also exclude severance and termination pay. Data are also disaggregated by occupation. Statistics on average hourly earnings by sex are the basis for the calculation of the gender pay gap. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.