Share of population with no formal education in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share of population with no formal education was 1.8% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in Costa Rica, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population with no formal education in Costa Rica stood at 1.8%. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Costa Rica peaked at 91.4% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 2020.
That places Costa Rica 71st out of 111 countries with data for 2020, 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 population with no formal education in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 91.4% | — |
| 1875 | 89.4% | -2.2% |
| 1880 | 87.1% | -2.6% |
| 1885 | 84.4% | -3.1% |
| 1890 | 81.0% | -4.0% |
| 1895 | 77.1% | -4.8% |
| 1900 | 62.4% | -19.1% |
| 1905 | 55.8% | -10.6% |
| 1910 | 49.4% | -11.5% |
| 1915 | 44.8% | -9.3% |
| 1920 | 39.2% | -12.5% |
| 1925 | 33.5% | -14.5% |
| 1930 | 30.8% | -8.1% |
| 1935 | 27.9% | -9.4% |
| 1940 | 24.8% | -11.1% |
| 1945 | 21.5% | -13.3% |
| 1950 | 19.2% | -10.7% |
| 1955 | 18.0% | -6.2% |
| 1960 | 17.7% | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 16.6% | -6.2% |
| 1970 | 16.2% | -2.4% |
| 1975 | 10.8% | -33.3% |
| 1980 | 8.1% | -25.0% |
| 1985 | 6.0% | -25.9% |
| 1990 | 5.4% | -10.0% |
| 1995 | 5.1% | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 4.2% | -17.6% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -40.5% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | +8.0% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | -14.8% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | -21.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 90.4% | 89.4% | 91.4% | 2 |
| 1880s | 85.8% | 84.4% | 87.1% | 2 |
| 1890s | 79.0% | 77.1% | 81.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 59.1% | 55.8% | 62.4% | 2 |
| 1910s | 47.1% | 44.8% | 49.4% | 2 |
| 1920s | 36.4% | 33.5% | 39.2% | 2 |
| 1930s | 29.4% | 27.9% | 30.8% | 2 |
| 1940s | 23.1% | 21.5% | 24.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 18.6% | 18.0% | 19.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 17.1% | 16.6% | 17.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 13.5% | 10.8% | 16.2% | 2 |
| 1980s | 7.0% | 6.0% | 8.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 2.5% | 4.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 68 Austria 1.9% compare
- 68 South Africa 1.9% compare
- 68 Zimbabwe 1.9% compare
- 71 Bulgaria 1.8% compare
- 71 El Salvador 1.8% compare
- 71 Iceland 1.8% compare
- 71 Philippines 1.8% compare
More education data for Costa Rica
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Costa Rica?
- Share of population with no formal education in Costa Rica was 1.8% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 91.4% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Costa Rica ranks 71st out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.