Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle was 10.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
10.8%
Change on year
up 2,611.5%
World rank
31st
of 42 countries
All-time high
28.9%
in 2003
All-time low
0.4%
in 2021
Years of data
21
2002–2024

Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Costa Rica, 2002–2024

01020302002201320242002: 25.7 %2003: 28.9 %2004: 22.5 %2005: 18.5 %2006: 21.9 %2007: 22.3 %2008: 19.5 %2009: 16.1 %2010: 18 %2011: 22.2 %2012: 11.4 %2013: 9 %2014: 6.2 %2015: 14 %2016: 10.1 %2017: 7.9 %2018: 3.3 %2019: 3.1 %2020: 3 %2021: 0.4 %2024: 10.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 10.8% for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in 2024.

The figure is up 2,611.5% on the previous year and up 74.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Costa Rica peaked at 28.9% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2021.

That places Costa Rica 31st out of 42 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%) in Costa Rica, 2002 to 2024.
Year % Change
2002 25.7%
2003 28.9% +12.5%
2004 22.5% -22.1%
2005 18.5% -17.8%
2006 21.9% +18.4%
2007 22.3% +1.8%
2008 19.5% -12.6%
2009 16.1% -17.4%
2010 18.0% +11.8%
2011 22.2% +23.1%
2012 11.4% -48.6%
2013 9.0% -21.1%
2014 6.2% -31.1%
2015 14.0% +125.8%
2016 10.1% -27.9%
2017 7.9% -21.8%
2018 3.3% -58.1%
2019 3.1% -6.4%
2020 3.0% -3.2%
2021 0.4% -86.7%
2024 10.8% +2611.5%

Costa Rica compared with similar countries

  • Costa Rica's 10.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.0%, 2.2× the median. (7 countries reporting)
  • Costa Rica's 10.8% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.3%, 88% of the median. (16 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle 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
2024 +2611.5% 0.4% 10.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21.9% 16.1% 28.9% 8
2010s 10.5% 3.1% 22.2% 10
2020s 4.7% 0.4% 10.8% 3

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 28 Ecuador 12.6% compare
  2. 29 Paraguay 12.0% compare
  3. 30 Turkey 11.1% compare
  4. 32 Egypt 8.8% compare
  5. 33 China 7.8% compare
  6. 34 Panama 7.8% compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More education data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Costa Rica?
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Costa Rica was 10.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 2003.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2021.
How does Costa Rica rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle?
Costa Rica ranks 31st out of 42 countries with data for 2024.
Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 74.9%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle 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-youth-of-upper-secondary-school-age-middle-quintile-both-sexes-2/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
42 places, 434 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release