School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 6.24 years in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
6.24 years
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
65th
of 218 countries
All-time high
6.56 years
in 2009
All-time low
6.17 years
in 2017
Years of data
22
2002–2024
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Costa Rica, 2002–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 6.24 years for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Costa Rica peaked at 6.56 years in 2009 and was at its lowest, 6.17 years, in 2017.
That places Costa Rica 65th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 6.29 years | — |
| 2004 | 6.52 years | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 6.38 years | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 6.49 years | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 6.43 years | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 6.5 years | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 6.56 years | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 6.52 years | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 6.47 years | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 6.39 years | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 6.27 years | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 6.21 years | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 6.2 years | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 6.24 years | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 6.17 years | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 6.3 years | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 6.52 years | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 6.45 years | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 6.39 years | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 6.34 years | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 6.32 years | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 6.24 years | -1.2% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 6.24 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.86 years, 1.1× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 6.24 years is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.1 years, 1.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.45 years | 6.29 years | 6.56 years | 7 |
| 2010s | 6.33 years | 6.17 years | 6.52 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.35 years | 6.24 years | 6.45 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 62 Cote d'Ivoire 6.37 years compare
- 63 Cyprus 6.31 years compare
- 64 Tunisia 6.29 years compare
- 66 Guam 6.23 years
- 67 Netherlands 6.23 years compare
- 68 Saudi Arabia 6.22 years 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 school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Costa Rica?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Costa Rica was 6.24 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 6.56 years in 2009.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.17 years in 2017.
- How does Costa Rica rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Costa Rica ranks 65th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release