Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 38.4% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
38.4%
World rank
45th
of 53 countries
All-time high
42.6%
in 2012
All-time low
38.4%
in 2022
Years of data
5
2009–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Costa Rica, 2009–2022

0102030402009201520222009: 40.7 %2012: 42.6 %2015: 39.9 %2018: 40.5 %2022: 38.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 38.4% for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Costa Rica peaked at 42.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 38.4%, in 2022.

That places Costa Rica 45th out of 53 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Costa Rica, 2009 to 2022.
Year % Change
2009 40.7%
2012 42.6% +4.7%
2015 39.9% -6.4%
2018 40.5% +1.6%
2022 38.4% -5.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 40.7% 40.7% 40.7% 1
2010s 41.0% 39.9% 42.6% 3
2020s 38.4% 38.4% 38.4% 1

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 42 Brazil 43.5% compare
  2. 43 Uruguay 41.2% compare
  3. 44 Malaysia 41.1% compare
  4. 46 Colombia 38.4% compare
  5. 47 Kazakhstan 36.1% compare
  6. 48 Argentina 35.8% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Costa Rica?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Costa Rica was 38.4% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 42.6% in 2012.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 38.4% in 2022.
How does Costa Rica rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Costa Rica ranks 45th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.