Costa Rica: Children out of school, primary, male

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Costa Rica's children out of school, primary, male fell 9.6% on 2023 (from 10,267 to 9,280).

Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2023), the average change was +8.7% and a typical year strayed about 31.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 63.3% in 2012 and the biggest yearly fall was 34.7% in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1,166 a year. A straight line explains 65% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Costa Rica had the 37th highest value of the 72 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Costa Rica in the 2024 ranking

• Oman — 34th of 72: 11,567
• Comoros — 35th of 72: 11,077
• Chile — 36th of 72: 9,892
• Belarus — 38th of 72: 8,421
• Bulgaria — 39th of 72: 7,586
• Bhutan — 40th of 72: 5,852

What this measures

Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.

Limitations: Due to different data sources for enrollment and population data, the number may not capture the actual number of children not attending in primary school.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 14 values

Children out of school, primary, male in nearby economies

• Bahamas, The — 2,266 (2024)
• Barbados — 1,761 (2024)
• Belize — 2,636 (2024)
• Bolivia — 69,066 (2024)
• Brazil — 187,992 (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 525 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 142 (2024)
• Chile — 9,892 (2024)
• Colombia — 158,138 (2022)
• Cuba — 18,654 (2024)
• Dominica

More education data for Costa Rica

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 460,126 (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 464,490 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.99 (2021)
• Primary education, teachers — 43,058 (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 95.24% (2021)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Costa Rica's children out of school, primary, male?

9,280 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2011?

It is up 53.97% from 6,027 in 2011 (3.38% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 22,758 in 2017 and the lowest 6,027 in 2011.

How does Costa Rica rank?

37th highest of 72 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary, male unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2024, Costa Rica's children out of school, primary, male fell 9.6% on 2023 (from 10,267 to 9,280). Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2023), the average change was +8.7% and a typical year strayed about 31.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.UNER.MA, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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