Primary education, teachers in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Primary education, teachers was 43,058 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
43,058
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
90th
of 204 countries
All-time high
43,899
in 2023
All-time low
10,379
in 1984
Years of data
51
1970–2024

Primary education, teachers in Costa Rica, 1970–2024

10.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k197019972024

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

In 2024, primary education, teachers in Costa Rica stood at 43,058.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, teachers in Costa Rica peaked at 43,899 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10,379, in 1984.

Costa Rica ranks 90th of 204 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.

Primary education, teachers in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, teachers in Costa Rica, 1970 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1970 11,720 —
1971 12,061 +2.9%
1972 12,573 +4.2%
1973 12,940 +2.9%
1974 12,643 -2.3%
1975 12,429 -1.7%
1976 12,973 +4.4%
1979 13,242 +2.1%
1980 12,596 -4.9%
1981 10,556 -16.2%
1982 10,824 +2.5%
1983 10,767 -0.5%
1984 10,379 -3.6%
1985 11,526 +11.1%
1986 11,785 +2.2%
1987 12,490 +6.0%
1988 12,829 +2.7%
1989 13,073 +1.9%
1990 13,651 +4.4%
1991 14,078 +3.1%
1992 14,584 +3.6%
1993 14,949 +2.5%
1994 15,806 +5.7%
1995 16,565 +4.8%
1996 17,554 +6.0%
1997 18,358 +4.6%
1998 19,239 +4.8%
1999 21,233 +10.4%
2000 22,111 +4.1%
2001 22,715 +2.7%
2002 24,142 +6.3%
2004 24,975 +3.5%
2005 25,399 +1.7%
2006 27,733 +9.2%
2007 27,518 -0.8%
2008 28,186 +2.4%
2009 28,888 +2.5%
2010 29,163 +1.0%
2011 29,233 +0.2%
2013 35,986 +23.1%
2014 35,967 -0.1%
2015 37,349 +3.8%
2016 39,717 +6.3%
2017 40,627 +2.3%
2018 39,638 -2.4%
2019 42,720 +7.8%
2020 43,093 +0.9%
2021 42,733 -0.8%
2022 43,116 +0.9%
2023 43,899 +1.8%
2024 43,058 -1.9%

Costa Rica compared with similar countries

  • Costa Rica's 43,058 is above the median for high income countries, which is 17,584, 2.4× the median. (78 countries reporting)
  • Costa Rica's 43,058 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 18,882, 2.3× the median. (39 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 12,573 11,720 13,242 8
1980s 11,682 10,379 13,073 10
1990s 16,602 13,651 21,233 10
2000s 25,741 22,111 28,888 9
2010s 36,711 29,163 42,720 9
2020s 43,180 42,733 43,899 5

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 87 Haiti 44,472 compare
  2. 88 Guinea 43,914 compare
  3. 89 Burundi 43,226 compare
  4. 91 Libya 42,696 compare
  5. 92 Ireland 42,162 compare
  6. 93 Denmark 42,105 compare

See the full ranking of 249 places →

More education data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, teachers in Costa Rica?
Primary education, teachers in Costa Rica was 43,058 in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, teachers recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 43,899 in 2023.
What is the lowest primary education, teachers recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 10,379 in 1984.
How does Costa Rica rank for primary education, teachers?
Costa Rica ranks 90th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
Is primary education, teachers rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, teachers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary education, teachers in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-teachers/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary education, teachers
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
249 places, 9,469 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.