Costa Rica: Primary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Costa Rica's primary education, pupils fell 3% on 2023 (from 474,484 to 460,126).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2023), the average change was +0.1% and a typical year strayed about 2.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 7.5% in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.2% in 2000. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 2% 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 2024, Costa Rica had the 57th highest value of the 119 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

• United Arab Emirates — 54th of 119: 586,477
• Switzerland — 55th of 119: 556,945
• Lebanon — 56th of 119: 533,550
• Panama — 58th of 119: 451,308
• Belarus — 59th of 119: 444,044
• Norway — 60th of 119: 434,422

What this measures

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.

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

All 54 values

Primary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 8,720 (2023)
• Argentina — 4.58 million (2023)
• Aruba — 7,719 (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 26,817 (2024)
• Barbados — 16,314 (2024)
• Belize — 44,757 (2024)
• Bolivia — 1.38 million (2024)
• Brazil — 15.11 million (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 1,626 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 4,334 (2024)
• Chile — 1.49 million (2024)
• Colombia

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)
• 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) — 9.99% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

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 primary education, pupils?

460,126 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 31.7% from 349,378 in 1970 (0.51% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 569,513 in 1999 and the lowest 342,373 in 1982.

How does Costa Rica rank?

57th highest of 119 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary education, pupils unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2024, Costa Rica's primary education, pupils fell 3% on 2023 (from 474,484 to 460,126). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2023), the average change was +0.1% and a typical year strayed about 2.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.ENRL, 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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