Expenditure on tertiary education in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Expenditure on tertiary education was 23.1% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on tertiary education in Costa Rica, 1980–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 23.1% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2018.
The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Costa Rica peaked at 43.2% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 1999.
That places Costa Rica 56th out of 160 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 29.6% | — |
| 1982 | 37.1% | +25.5% |
| 1983 | 31.1% | -16.2% |
| 1986 | 43.2% | +39.0% |
| 1988 | 42.8% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 42.3% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 31.3% | -26.0% |
| 1996 | 28.5% | -8.9% |
| 1999 | 17.3% | -39.3% |
| 2000 | 19.4% | +12.4% |
| 2001 | 19.2% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 18.8% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 18.8% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 20.9% | +11.5% |
| 2007 | 20.9% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 20.9% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 19.0% | -9.2% |
| 2010 | 18.4% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 19.6% | +6.6% |
| 2012 | 19.7% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 20.5% | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 21.7% | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 22.3% | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 23.0% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 23.6% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 23.1% | -2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 37.7% | 29.6% | 43.2% | 6 |
| 1990s | 25.7% | 17.3% | 31.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 19.7% | 18.8% | 20.9% | 8 |
| 2010s | 21.3% | 18.4% | 23.6% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
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 tertiary education in Costa Rica?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Costa Rica was 23.1% in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 43.2% in 1986.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 1999.
- How does Costa Rica rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Costa Rica ranks 56th out of 160 countries with data for 2018.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.