Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 1.2% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
1.2%
Change on year
down 60.0%
World rank
112th
of 134 countries
All-time high
38.1%
in 1976
All-time low
1.2%
in 2019
Years of data
22
1970–2019

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Costa Rica, 1970–2019

0102030401970199420191970: 33.1 %1973: 31.2 %1975: 37.7 %1976: 38.1 %1979: 31.4 %1981: 31.9 %1982: 35.3 %1985: 35 %1986: 34.1 %1987: 33.9 %1989: 33.4 %1990: 31.7 %1991: 30.2 %2011: 8.6 %2012: 8.6 %2013: 6.7 %2014: 6.2 %2015: 6.3 %2016: 5.9 %2017: 8.1 %2018: 3.1 %2019: 1.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Costa Rica is 1.2%, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.

The figure is down 60.0% on the previous year and down 85.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Costa Rica peaked at 38.1% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2019.

That places Costa Rica 112th out of 134 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, female (%) in Costa Rica, 1970 to 2019.
Year % Change
1970 33.1%
1973 31.2% -5.6%
1975 37.7% +20.7%
1976 38.1% +0.9%
1979 31.4% -17.6%
1981 31.9% +1.6%
1982 35.3% +10.8%
1985 35.0% -0.8%
1986 34.1% -2.6%
1987 33.9% -0.7%
1989 33.4% -1.3%
1990 31.7% -5.2%
1991 30.2% -4.8%
2011 8.6% -71.4%
2012 8.6% -1.0%
2013 6.7% -22.0%
2014 6.2% -6.9%
2015 6.3% +1.8%
2016 5.9% -6.7%
2017 8.1% +37.0%
2018 3.1% -61.8%
2019 1.2% -60.0%

Costa Rica compared with similar countries

  • Costa Rica's 1.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.4%, 51% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
  • Costa Rica's 1.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 10.8%, 11% of the median. (30 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age 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.

YearChange FromTo
2011 -71.4% 30.2% 8.6%
2018 -61.8% 8.1% 3.1%
2019 -60.0% 3.1% 1.2%
2017 +37.0% 5.9% 8.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 34.3% 31.2% 38.1% 5
1980s 33.9% 31.9% 35.3% 6
1990s 31.0% 30.2% 31.7% 2
2010s 6.1% 1.2% 8.6% 9

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 109 Switzerland 1.3% compare
  2. 110 Slovenia 1.3% compare
  3. 111 Norway 1.3% compare
  4. 113 Malta 1.2% compare
  5. 114 New Zealand 1.1% compare
  6. 115 Belgium 1.1% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More education data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Costa Rica?
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Costa Rica was 1.2% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 38.1% in 1976.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2019.
How does Costa Rica rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
Costa Rica ranks 112th out of 134 countries with data for 2019.
Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 85.7%. 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, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-of-lower-secondary-school-age-female-percent/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
179 places, 3,006 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of females of official lower secondary school age who are not enrolled in lower secondary school expressed as a percentage of the female population of official lower secondary school age.