Costa Rica: Secondary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Costa Rica's secondary education, pupils fell 3.2% on 2023 (from 479,766 to 464,490).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2023), the average change was +3.7% and a typical year strayed about 4.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 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 21.4% in 1973 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.8% in 1983. 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 14% 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 100 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

• Serbia — 54th of 100: 478,731
• Slovak Republic — 55th of 100: 473,316
• Norway — 56th of 100: 469,508
• Lebanon — 58th of 100: 417,800
• El Salvador — 59th of 100: 417,193
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 60th of 100: 340,877

What this measures

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

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

All 53 values

Secondary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 7,160 (2023)
• Argentina — 4.56 million (2023)
• Aruba — 8,367 (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 26,561 (2024)
• Barbados — 18,457 (2024)
• Belize — 38,323 (2024)
• Bolivia — 1.3 million (2024)
• Brazil — 21.5 million (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 2,300 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 4,049 (2024)
• Chile — 1.63 million (2024)

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)
• 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 secondary education, pupils?

464,490 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 660.61% from 61,068 in 1970 (3.83% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 528,269 in 2021 and the lowest 61,068 in 1970.

How does Costa Rica rank?

57th highest of 100 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Costa Rica's secondary education, pupils fell 3.2% on 2023 (from 479,766 to 464,490). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2023), the average change was +3.7% and a typical year strayed about 4.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 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.SEC.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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