Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary was 42.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Costa Rica, 1973–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.
Analysis
In 2024, educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Costa Rica stood at 42.1%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Costa Rica peaked at 42.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.3%, in 1973.
That places Costa Rica 101st out of 140 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | cumulative | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 11.3% | — |
| 2001 | 28.6% | +152.3% |
| 2002 | 28.7% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 29.7% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 29.9% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 30.5% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 30.4% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 33.1% | +8.8% |
| 2008 | 35.0% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 36.1% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 34.9% | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 36.0% | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 36.6% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 36.0% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 39.9% | +10.7% |
| 2015 | 37.0% | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 37.3% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 35.6% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 38.4% | +7.9% |
| 2019 | 37.5% | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 39.5% | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 38.4% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 39.4% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 41.3% | +4.8% |
| 2024 | 42.1% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.3% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 31.3% | 28.6% | 36.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 36.9% | 34.9% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.1% | 38.4% | 42.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More education data for Costa Rica
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 61,047 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 464,490 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 460,126 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -3.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0897 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 460,126 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -3.03 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Costa Rica?
- Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary in Costa Rica was 42.1% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 42.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.3% in 1973.
- How does Costa Rica rank for educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary?
- Costa Rica ranks 101st out of 140 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Educational attainment, at least completed upper secondary, population 25+, male (%) (cumulative). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed upper secondary education.