Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) was 43,058 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
43,058
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
90th
of 216 countries
All-time high
43,899
in 2023
All-time low
10,379
in 1984
Years of data
51
1970–2024
Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Costa Rica, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Costa Rica stood at 43,058.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Costa Rica peaked at 43,899 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10,379, in 1984.
That places Costa Rica 90th out of 216 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.
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Costa Rica, year by year
| 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
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 teachers in primary education, both sexes in Costa Rica?
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Costa Rica was 43,058 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 43,899 in 2023.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,379 in 1984.
- How does Costa Rica rank for teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- Costa Rica ranks 90th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is teachers in primary education, both sexes 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 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release