Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 was 5.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Costa Rica, 2002–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 5.1% for percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is down 27.1% on the previous year and down 68.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Costa Rica peaked at 19.9% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 5.1%, in 2023.
That places Costa Rica 30th out of 37 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 19.9% | — |
| 2003 | 17.9% | -10.1% |
| 2004 | 18.8% | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 16.6% | -11.7% |
| 2006 | 17.7% | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 16.9% | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 18.4% | +8.9% |
| 2009 | 16.9% | -8.2% |
| 2010 | 15.9% | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 15.5% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 14.8% | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 16.3% | +10.1% |
| 2014 | 12.4% | -23.9% |
| 2015 | 12.2% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 11.9% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 10.3% | -13.4% |
| 2018 | 6.1% | -40.6% |
| 2019 | 8.1% | +32.4% |
| 2020 | 6.9% | -14.8% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | +14.5% |
| 2022 | 7.0% | -11.4% |
| 2023 | 5.1% | -27.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 5.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.9%, 1.3× the median. (5 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 5.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.8%, 89% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.9% | 16.6% | 19.9% | 8 |
| 2010s | 12.4% | 6.1% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.7% | 5.1% | 7.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 27 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 6.3% compare
- 28 Paraguay 5.9% compare
- 29 Panama 5.6% compare
- 31 United States of America 3.9% compare
- 32 Uruguay 3.7% compare
- 33 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 3.3% 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 percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Costa Rica?
- Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Costa Rica was 5.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 2002.
- What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.1% in 2023.
- How does Costa Rica rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2?
- Costa Rica ranks 30th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, female (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release