Female unemployment rate in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Female unemployment rate was 7.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female unemployment rate in Costa Rica, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female unemployment rate in Costa Rica is 7.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 24.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female unemployment rate in Costa Rica peaked at 21.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 1993.
That places Costa Rica 63rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Female unemployment rate in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.1% | — |
| 1992 | 5.3% | -25.0% |
| 1993 | 5.0% | -6.2% |
| 1994 | 5.6% | +11.8% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | +17.0% |
| 1996 | 8.2% | +26.3% |
| 1997 | 7.3% | -10.9% |
| 1998 | 7.5% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 7.9% | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 6.6% | -16.3% |
| 2001 | 7.6% | +15.4% |
| 2002 | 7.9% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 8.2% | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 8.5% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 9.8% | +16.0% |
| 2006 | 8.7% | -11.5% |
| 2007 | 6.9% | -21.0% |
| 2008 | 6.3% | -8.6% |
| 2009 | 9.9% | +57.7% |
| 2010 | 9.1% | -8.1% |
| 2011 | 11.9% | +30.6% |
| 2012 | 10.8% | -8.9% |
| 2013 | 9.7% | -10.1% |
| 2014 | 10.5% | +7.8% |
| 2015 | 10.3% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 10.1% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 9.7% | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 11.4% | +17.5% |
| 2019 | 14.1% | +23.2% |
| 2020 | 21.2% | +50.6% |
| 2021 | 20.0% | -5.4% |
| 2022 | 15.1% | -24.5% |
| 2023 | 10.2% | -32.5% |
| 2024 | 7.8% | -23.8% |
| 2025 | 7.8% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.7% | 5.0% | 8.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.0% | 6.3% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.8% | 9.1% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.7% | 7.8% | 21.2% | 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 female unemployment rate in Costa Rica?
- Female unemployment rate in Costa Rica was 7.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female unemployment rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 21.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest female unemployment rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 1993.
- How does Costa Rica rank for female unemployment rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 63rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female unemployment rate rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.