Costa Rica: Secondary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Costa Rica's secondary education, teachers fell 2.7% on 2023 (from 38,039 to 37,015).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2023), the average change was +4.6% and a typical year strayed about 4.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 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 20% in 1976 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.5% in 2021. 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 upward, about 357.91 a year. A straight line explains 33% 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 46th highest value of the 85 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

• Finland — 43rd of 85: 42,938
• Sierra Leone — 44th of 85: 38,043
• Slovak Republic — 45th of 85: 37,693
• New Zealand — 47th of 85: 36,426
• Rwanda — 48th of 85: 34,324
• Georgia — 49th of 85: 31,929

What this measures

Secondary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at secondary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

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

All 45 values

Secondary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 865 (2023)
• Aruba — 553 (2016)
• Bahamas, The — 2,192 (2024)
• Barbados — 1,244 (2024)
• Belize — 2,319 (2024)
• Bolivia — 72,283 (2024)
• Brazil — 1.02 million (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 195 (2023)
• Cayman Islands — 380 (2024)
• Chile — 96,048 (2024)
• Colombia — 190,940 (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

• 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, teachers?

37,015 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 902.84% from 3,691 in 1970 (4.36% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 39,609 in 2020 and the lowest 3,691 in 1970.

How does Costa Rica rank?

46th highest of 85 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Costa Rica's secondary education, teachers fell 2.7% on 2023 (from 38,039 to 37,015). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2023), the average change was +4.6% and a typical year strayed about 4.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 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.TCHR, 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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