Share in informal employment in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share in informal employment was 36.11 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
36.11
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
40th
of 82 countries
All-time high
42.05
in 2015
All-time low
36.11
in 2025
Years of data
16
2010–2025
Share in informal employment in Costa Rica, 2010–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, share in informal employment in Costa Rica stood at 36.11. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share in informal employment in Costa Rica peaked at 42.05 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 36.11, in 2025.
That places Costa Rica 40th out of 82 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share in informal employment in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 37.85 | — |
| 2011 | 37.07 | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 39.11 | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 40.87 | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 41.22 | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 42.05 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 40.16 | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 40.73 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 40.92 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 41.85 | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 40.02 | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 41.32 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 39.87 | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 37.1 | -6.9% |
| 2024 | 37.38 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 36.11 | -3.4% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 36.11 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.4, 15.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 36.11 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 56.01, 64% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 40.18 | 37.07 | 42.05 | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.63 | 36.11 | 41.32 | 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 share in informal employment in Costa Rica?
- Share in informal employment in Costa Rica was 36.11 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share in informal employment recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 42.05 in 2015.
- What is the lowest share in informal employment recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.11 in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share in informal employment?
- Costa Rica ranks 40th out of 82 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share in informal employment rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share in informal employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).