Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) was 23.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Costa Rica, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Costa Rica stood at 23.4%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Costa Rica peaked at 33.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 23.4%, in 2025.
That places Costa Rica 108th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 33.0% | — |
| 1992 | 30.8% | -6.7% |
| 1993 | 30.8% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 29.0% | -5.7% |
| 1995 | 30.1% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 29.3% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 30.3% | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 28.7% | -5.2% |
| 1999 | 28.5% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 28.2% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 28.1% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 28.7% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 26.9% | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 28.2% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 26.0% | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 26.5% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 24.7% | -7.1% |
| 2008 | 24.6% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 24.5% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 23.8% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 23.7% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 25.0% | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 27.2% | +9.0% |
| 2014 | 26.6% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 26.5% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 24.8% | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 24.5% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 24.6% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 25.3% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 25.8% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 25.4% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 24.9% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 23.8% | -4.5% |
| 2024 | 23.6% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 23.4% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.1% | 28.5% | 33.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 26.6% | 24.5% | 28.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.2% | 23.7% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.5% | 23.4% | 25.8% | 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 vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Costa Rica?
- Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Costa Rica was 23.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 33.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.4% in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment)?
- Costa Rica ranks 108th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Vulnerable employment is contributing family workers and own-account workers as a percentage of total employment.