Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 151.04 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Costa Rica, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Costa Rica stood at 151.04. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Costa Rica peaked at 398.11 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 151.04, in 2025.
Costa Rica ranks 43rd of 72 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 199.28 | — |
| 2015 | 196.44 | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 182.34 | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 177.43 | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 218.03 | +22.9% |
| 2019 | 273.89 | +25.6% |
| 2020 | 398.11 | +45.4% |
| 2021 | 378.61 | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 285.54 | -24.6% |
| 2023 | 196.51 | -31.2% |
| 2024 | 168.3 | -14.4% |
| 2025 | 151.04 | -10.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 151.04 is below the median for high income countries, which is 169.05, 89% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 151.04 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 115.24, 1.3× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 207.9 | 177.43 | 273.89 | 6 |
| 2020s | 263.02 | 151.04 | 398.11 | 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 unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Costa Rica?
- Unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in Costa Rica was 151.04 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 398.11 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 151.04 in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- Costa Rica ranks 43rd out of 72 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.1%. 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 Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
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. The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.