Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) was 36.07 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Costa Rica, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Costa Rica stood at 36.07.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Costa Rica peaked at 41.78 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 35.48, in 2016.
Costa Rica ranks 11th of 46 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 36.86 | — |
| 2015 | 37.57 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 35.48 | -5.6% |
| 2017 | 40.63 | +14.5% |
| 2018 | 40.85 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 41.78 | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 39.87 | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 41.24 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 39.81 | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 37 | -7.1% |
| 2024 | 37.31 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 36.07 | -3.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 36.07 is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.95, 7.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 36.07 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.07, 1.0× the median. (7 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 38.86 | 35.48 | 41.78 | 6 |
| 2020s | 38.55 | 36.07 | 41.24 | 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 of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Costa Rica?
- Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Costa Rica was 36.07 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 41.78 in 2019.
- What is the lowest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.48 in 2016.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition)?
- Costa Rica ranks 11th out of 46 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (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 includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.