Costa Rica's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) was 20.38% in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 2.45 percentage points from 22.83% in 2013.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 20.38% | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 26.09% | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 22.83% | 2013 |
| Highest | 32.59% | 2019 |
| Lowest | 0% | 1982 |
| Average since 2014 | 26.19% | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 0% | 1982 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, Costa Rica's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 1.2 percentage points on 2022 (from 21.58% to 20.38%).
Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2022), the average change was +0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.15 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 6.73 percentage points in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.58 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2023, Costa Rica had the 1st highest value of the 17 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 20.38% | 2023 |
| World | 13.96% | 2023 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 16.56% | 2024 |
| High income | 12% | 2022 |
Closest to Costa Rica in the 2023 ranking
- Burkina Faso — 2nd of 17: 20.3%
- Chad — 3rd of 17: 16.48%
- Uruguay — 4th of 17: 15.61%
What this measures
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.
Limitations: Data on government expenditure on education may refer to spending by the ministry of education only (excluding spending on educational activities by other ministries). In addition, definitions and methods of data on total general government expenditure may differ across countries.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.
All 31 values
| Year | Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 20.38 |
| 2022 | 21.58 |
| 2021 | 31.17 |
| 2020 | 30.08 |
| 2019 | 32.59 |
| 2018 | 26.09 |
| 2017 | 30.15 |
| 2016 | 23.42 |
| 2015 | 23.37 |
| 2014 | 23.11 |
| 2013 |
Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) in nearby economies
- Antigua and Barbuda — 5.87% (2025)
- Argentina — 13.22% (2023)
- Aruba — 10.96% (2021)
- Bahamas, The — 10.62% (2025)
- Barbados — 14.19% (2025)
- Belize — 18.9% (2024)
- Bolivia — 20.16% (2024)
- Brazil — 12.93% (2022)
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
Questions people ask
- What is Costa Rica's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?
- 20.38% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1982?
- It is up 20.38 percentage points from 0% in 1982. The highest value was 32.59% in 2019 and the lowest 0% in 1982.
- How does Costa Rica rank?
- 1st highest of 17 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) unusual for Costa Rica?
- In 2023, Costa Rica's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 1.2 percentage points on 2022 (from 21.58% to 20.38%). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2022), the average change was +0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.15 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS, 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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