Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 95.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
95.2%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
95th
of 190 countries
All-time high
96.5%
in 2011
All-time low
2.0%
in 1820
Years of data
47
1820–2024
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Costa Rica, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Costa Rica is 95.2%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Costa Rica peaked at 96.5% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1820.
Costa Rica ranks 95th of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 2.0% | — |
| 1825 | 2.5% | +26.4% |
| 1830 | 3.6% | +46.2% |
| 1835 | 4.6% | +26.6% |
| 1840 | 5.8% | +26.2% |
| 1845 | 7.3% | +25.9% |
| 1850 | 9.2% | +25.2% |
| 1855 | 11.4% | +24.7% |
| 1860 | 14.2% | +24.0% |
| 1865 | 17.5% | +23.0% |
| 1870 | 21.3% | +22.0% |
| 1875 | 25.7% | +20.8% |
| 1880 | 30.7% | +19.4% |
| 1885 | 36.2% | +17.9% |
| 1890 | 35.8% | -1.1% |
| 1895 | 35.4% | -1.1% |
| 1900 | 35.0% | -1.1% |
| 1905 | 34.6% | -1.1% |
| 1910 | 41.4% | +19.6% |
| 1915 | 46.5% | +12.4% |
| 1920 | 51.7% | +11.0% |
| 1925 | 56.8% | +9.9% |
| 1930 | 61.9% | +9.0% |
| 1935 | 67.1% | +8.3% |
| 1940 | 72.2% | +7.7% |
| 1945 | 77.4% | +7.1% |
| 1950 | 82.5% | +6.6% |
| 1955 | 87.6% | +6.2% |
| 1960 | 81.0% | -7.6% |
| 1965 | 83.8% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 89.0% | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 92.0% | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 91.0% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 96.5% | +6.0% |
| 2012 | 94.8% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 93.1% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 90.4% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 91.1% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 92.1% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 89.9% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 93.2% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 95.0% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 94.4% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 93.6% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 93.5% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 95.0% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 95.2% | +0.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 95.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.4%, 98% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 95.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 93.2%, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1830s | 4.1% | 3.6% | 4.6% | 2 |
| 1840s | 6.6% | 5.8% | 7.3% | 2 |
| 1850s | 10.3% | 9.2% | 11.4% | 2 |
| 1860s | 15.8% | 14.2% | 17.5% | 2 |
| 1870s | 23.5% | 21.3% | 25.7% | 2 |
| 1880s | 33.5% | 30.7% | 36.2% | 2 |
| 1890s | 35.6% | 35.4% | 35.8% | 2 |
| 1900s | 34.8% | 34.6% | 35.0% | 2 |
| 1910s | 44.0% | 41.4% | 46.5% | 2 |
| 1920s | 54.2% | 51.7% | 56.8% | 2 |
| 1930s | 64.5% | 61.9% | 67.1% | 2 |
| 1940s | 74.8% | 72.2% | 77.4% | 2 |
| 1950s | 85.1% | 82.5% | 87.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 82.4% | 81.0% | 83.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 90.5% | 89.0% | 92.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 91.0% | 91.0% | 91.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 92.9% | 89.9% | 96.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 94.3% | 93.5% | 95.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 92 Uzbekistan 95.3% compare
- 93 Dominican Republic 95.2% compare
- 94 Mozambique 95.2% compare
- 96 Canada 95.1% compare
- 97 San Marino 95.1% compare
- 98 Fiji 95.1% compare
More education data for Costa Rica
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 95.16 (2024)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 95.51 (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Costa Rica?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Costa Rica was 95.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 96.5% in 2011.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1820.
- How does Costa Rica rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Costa Rica ranks 95th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.