Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 20.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Costa Rica, 1982–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Costa Rica is 20.4%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Costa Rica peaked at 32.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1982.
Costa Rica ranks 16th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | 0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 30.3% | — |
| 1988 | 18.4% | -39.4% |
| 1989 | 17.7% | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 16.7% | -5.2% |
| 1996 | 19.1% | +14.2% |
| 1999 | 21.9% | +14.7% |
| 2000 | 18.8% | -14.2% |
| 2001 | 19.2% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 19.2% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 20.2% | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 20.4% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 20.6% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 21.0% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 20.8% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 23.4% | +12.5% |
| 2010 | 22.9% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 23.0% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 23.5% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 22.8% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 23.1% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 23.4% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 23.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 30.2% | +28.7% |
| 2018 | 26.1% | -13.5% |
| 2019 | 32.6% | +24.9% |
| 2020 | 30.1% | -7.7% |
| 2021 | 31.2% | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 21.6% | -30.8% |
| 2023 | 20.4% | -5.6% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 20.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.8%, 1.7× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 20.4% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13.4%, 1.5× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | -39.4% | 30.3% | 18.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.3% | 0.0% | 30.3% | 5 |
| 1990s | 19.3% | 16.7% | 21.9% | 3 |
| 2000s | 20.4% | 18.8% | 23.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | 25.1% | 22.8% | 32.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.8% | 20.4% | 31.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 13 Dominican Republic 20.9% compare
- 14 Sierra Leone 20.5% compare
- 15 Mozambique 20.4% compare
- 17 Burkina Faso 20.3% compare
- 18 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 20.2% compare
- 19 Kiribati 20.1% compare
More education data for Costa Rica
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 37,015 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14,772 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 62,694 (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Costa Rica?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Costa Rica was 20.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 32.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1982.
- How does Costa Rica rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Costa Rica ranks 16th out of 197 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release