Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) was 25.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Costa Rica, 1990–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 25.5% for unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.3% on the previous year and down 4.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Costa Rica peaked at 50.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 1992.
That places Costa Rica 30th out of 157 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.0% | — |
| 1991 | 13.2% | +32.1% |
| 1992 | 9.4% | -28.6% |
| 1993 | 9.8% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 11.1% | +13.8% |
| 1995 | 13.3% | +19.3% |
| 1996 | 16.6% | +25.0% |
| 1997 | 15.7% | -5.6% |
| 1998 | 16.7% | +6.6% |
| 1999 | 16.0% | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 14.2% | -11.4% |
| 2001 | 16.1% | +13.4% |
| 2002 | 17.5% | +8.6% |
| 2003 | 17.5% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 18.3% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 21.0% | +14.8% |
| 2006 | 19.6% | -7.0% |
| 2007 | 15.1% | -23.1% |
| 2008 | 12.6% | -16.4% |
| 2009 | 21.4% | +70.1% |
| 2010 | 20.5% | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 29.1% | +41.8% |
| 2012 | 27.6% | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 25.7% | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 30.0% | +17.0% |
| 2015 | 26.7% | -11.2% |
| 2016 | 28.4% | +6.6% |
| 2017 | 25.6% | -10.0% |
| 2018 | 31.9% | +24.7% |
| 2019 | 36.6% | +14.7% |
| 2020 | 50.1% | +37.1% |
| 2021 | 47.9% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 37.6% | -21.5% |
| 2023 | 29.3% | -22.2% |
| 2024 | 23.5% | -19.6% |
| 2025 | 25.5% | +8.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 25.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 13.6%, 1.9× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 25.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 17.5%, 1.5× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.2% | 9.4% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.3% | 12.6% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.2% | 20.5% | 36.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.7% | 23.5% | 50.1% | 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, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Costa Rica?
- Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Costa Rica was 25.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 50.1% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 1992.
- How does Costa Rica rank for unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24)?
- Costa Rica ranks 30th out of 157 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.