Total dependency ratio in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Total dependency ratio was 45.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Total dependency ratio in Costa Rica, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, total dependency ratio in Costa Rica stood at 45.0%. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Costa Rica peaked at 99.0% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 45.0%, in 2023.
That places Costa Rica 192nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 93.3% | 90.3% | 97.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 97.3% | 93.1% | 99.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 81.0% | 71.9% | 91.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.5% | 67.9% | 70.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 64.4% | 59.3% | 68.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.6% | 48.2% | 58.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.0% | 45.2% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.2% | 45.0% | 45.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 189 Curacao 46.0% compare
- 190 Northern Mariana Islands 45.6% compare
- 191 Chile 45.1% compare
- 193 North Korea 44.9% compare
- 194 Greenland 44.8% compare
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2864 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8623 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.1052 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3865 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.3144 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in Costa Rica?
- Total dependency ratio in Costa Rica was 45.0% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 99.0% in 1963.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.0% in 2023.
- How does Costa Rica rank for total dependency ratio?
- Costa Rica ranks 192nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total dependency ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).