Youth unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Youth unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 11.6 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Youth unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica, 2010–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, youth unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica stood at 11.6. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.6% on the previous year and down 26.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica peaked at 28.26 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 11.6, in 2025.
That places Costa Rica 25th out of 57 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Youth unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.79 | — |
| 2012 | 14.45 | +13.0% |
| 2013 | 15.13 | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 15.6 | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 15.78 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 14.62 | -7.3% |
| 2017 | 14.24 | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 15.95 | +12.0% |
| 2019 | 17.18 | +7.7% |
| 2020 | 28.26 | +64.5% |
| 2021 | 20.18 | -28.6% |
| 2022 | 16.57 | -17.9% |
| 2023 | 14.09 | -15.0% |
| 2024 | 14.44 | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 11.6 | -19.6% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 11.6 is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.23, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 11.6 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 11.6, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 15.08 | 12.79 | 17.18 | 9 |
| 2020s | 17.52 | 11.6 | 28.26 | 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 youth unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica?
- Youth unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Costa Rica was 11.6 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest youth unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 28.26 in 2020.
- What is the lowest youth unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.6 in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for youth unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- Costa Rica ranks 25th out of 57 countries with data for 2025.
- Is youth unemployment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.5%. 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 Youth unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15-29). 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 is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). 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. The term disability, as defined in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), is used as an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. For measurement purposes, a person with disability is defined as a person who is limited in the kind or amount of activities that he or she can do because of ongoing difficulties due to a long-term physical condition, mental condition or health problem. For more information, refer to the Youth Labour Market Indicators (YouthSTATS) database description.