Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 95.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
95.5%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
114th
of 209 countries
All-time high
97.0%
in 2011
All-time low
2.1%
in 1820
Years of data
47
1820–2024
Share of children in primary school age who are in school 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 share of children in primary school age who are in school in Costa Rica is 95.5%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Costa Rica peaked at 97.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1820.
That places Costa Rica 114th out of 209 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.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 2.1% | — |
| 1825 | 2.6% | +26.8% |
| 1830 | 3.4% | +26.8% |
| 1835 | 4.2% | +26.2% |
| 1840 | 5.3% | +25.9% |
| 1845 | 6.7% | +25.7% |
| 1850 | 8.4% | +25.2% |
| 1855 | 10.5% | +24.6% |
| 1860 | 13.0% | +23.9% |
| 1865 | 16.0% | +23.1% |
| 1870 | 19.5% | +22.2% |
| 1875 | 23.6% | +21.0% |
| 1880 | 28.3% | +19.8% |
| 1885 | 33.5% | +18.4% |
| 1890 | 39.1% | +16.8% |
| 1895 | 45.0% | +15.2% |
| 1900 | 34.8% | -22.7% |
| 1905 | 35.2% | +1.2% |
| 1910 | 40.5% | +15.0% |
| 1915 | 49.0% | +20.7% |
| 1920 | 45.5% | -7.1% |
| 1925 | 46.8% | +2.9% |
| 1930 | 55.0% | +17.5% |
| 1935 | 61.8% | +12.4% |
| 1940 | 63.3% | +2.5% |
| 1945 | 70.0% | +10.5% |
| 1950 | 68.5% | -2.1% |
| 1955 | 88.1% | +28.6% |
| 1960 | 81.0% | -8.1% |
| 1965 | 89.0% | +9.9% |
| 1970 | 89.0% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 92.0% | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 90.0% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 97.0% | +7.7% |
| 2012 | 95.3% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 93.4% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 90.9% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 91.5% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 92.2% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 90.1% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 93.5% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 95.3% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 94.7% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 93.9% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 94.0% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 95.3% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 95.5% | +0.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 95.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 98.2%, 97% of the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 95.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 95.1%, 1.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2 |
| 1830s | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 2 |
| 1840s | 6.0% | 5.3% | 6.7% | 2 |
| 1850s | 9.4% | 8.4% | 10.5% | 2 |
| 1860s | 14.5% | 13.0% | 16.0% | 2 |
| 1870s | 21.6% | 19.5% | 23.6% | 2 |
| 1880s | 30.9% | 28.3% | 33.5% | 2 |
| 1890s | 42.1% | 39.1% | 45.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 35.0% | 34.8% | 35.2% | 2 |
| 1910s | 44.8% | 40.5% | 49.0% | 2 |
| 1920s | 46.1% | 45.5% | 46.8% | 2 |
| 1930s | 58.4% | 55.0% | 61.8% | 2 |
| 1940s | 66.6% | 63.3% | 70.0% | 2 |
| 1950s | 78.3% | 68.5% | 88.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 85.0% | 81.0% | 89.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 90.5% | 89.0% | 92.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 90.0% | 90.0% | 90.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 93.2% | 90.1% | 97.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 94.7% | 93.9% | 95.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
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 share of children in primary school age who are in school in Costa Rica?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Costa Rica was 95.5% 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 share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 97.0% in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1820.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Costa Rica ranks 114th out of 209 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. 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 Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.