Labor force — all countries

Labor force — Costa Rica

Labor force in Costa Rica in 2025 — 2,427,166 people. Ranked 119 in the world out of 182. Since 1990, the indicator has risen by 111.7%.

2025 2.43M people +1.01% vs 2024
World rank 119of 182
Period maximum 2.53M people2019
Period minimum 1.15M people1990

Trend over time

1990–2025 · people

Labor force — Costa Rica, 1990–20251M1.5M2M2.5M3M19901994199820022006201020142018202220251990: 1,146,377 people1991: 1,162,715 people1992: 1,180,500 people1993: 1,236,713 people1994: 1,286,844 people1995: 1,351,531 people1996: 1,345,220 people1997: 1,441,542 people1998: 1,526,529 people1999: 1,573,058 people2000: 1,596,716 people2001: 1,679,060 people2002: 1,710,423 people2003: 1,762,605 people2004: 1,771,024 people2005: 1,888,687 people2006: 1,911,390 people2007: 1,978,866 people2008: 2,003,972 people2009: 2,030,924 people2010: 2,027,352 people2011: 2,114,264 people2012: 2,283,817 people2013: 2,299,128 people2014: 2,357,268 people2015: 2,344,336 people2016: 2,262,369 people2017: 2,300,637 people2018: 2,422,784 people2019: 2,534,006 people2020: 2,419,333 people2021: 2,491,035 people2022: 2,504,874 people2023: 2,340,628 people2024: 2,402,966 people2025: 2,427,166 people
Change over the period: +1.28M (+111.72%) Average annual rate: 2.17 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Costa Rica

Costa Rica 2.43M people
World 3.74B people
Central America computed 84.94M people
Upper-middle-income countries computed 1.38B people
Labor force — Costa Rica, by year Costa Rica All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 2.43M +24,200 +1.01%
2024 2.4M +62,338 +2.66%
2023 2.34M −164,246 −6.56%
2022 2.5M +13,839 +0.56%
2021 2.49M +71,702 +2.96%
2020 2.42M −114,673 −4.53%
2019 2.53M +111,222 +4.59%
2018 2.42M +122,147 +5.31%
2017 2.3M +38,268 +1.69%
2016 2.26M −81,967 −3.5%
2015 2.34M −12,932 −0.55%
2014 2.36M +58,140 +2.53%
2013 2.3M +15,311 +0.67%
2012 2.28M +169,553 +8.02%
2011 2.11M +86,912 +4.29%
2010 2.03M −3,572 −0.18%
2009 2.03M +26,952 +1.34%
2008 2M +25,106 +1.27%
2007 1.98M +67,476 +3.53%
2006 1.91M +22,703 +1.2%
2005 1.89M +117,663 +6.64%
2004 1.77M +8,419 +0.48%
2003 1.76M +52,182 +3.05%
2002 1.71M +31,363 +1.87%
2001 1.68M +82,344 +5.16%
2000 1.6M +23,658 +1.5%
1999 1.57M +46,529 +3.05%
1998 1.53M +84,987 +5.9%
1997 1.44M +96,322 +7.16%
1996 1.35M −6,311 −0.47%
1995 1.35M +64,687 +5.03%
1994 1.29M +50,131 +4.05%
1993 1.24M +56,213 +4.76%
1992 1.18M +17,785 +1.53%
1991 1.16M +16,338 +1.43%
1990 1.15M

Central America, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The economically active population — everyone aged 15 and over who either works or actively looks for work. It covers the employed, the unemployed and first-time job seekers; it leaves out students, homemakers and other people who do not offer their labor on the market. The size of the labor force is the basic constraint on the growth potential of an economy.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.