UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of was 27.4% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
27.4%
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
11th
of 74 countries
All-time high
30.2%
in 2010
All-time low
17.8%
in 1973
Years of data
11
1973–2018

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Costa Rica, 1973–2018

01020301973199520181973: 17.82007: 29.82008: 29.22009: 29.52010: 30.22011: 29.72012: 29.32014: 27.12015: 28.22016: 282018: 27.4

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 27.4% for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Costa Rica peaked at 30.2% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 17.8%, in 1973.

That places Costa Rica 11th out of 74 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is primary, both sexes in Costa Rica, 1973 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1973 17.8%
2007 29.8% +67.2%
2008 29.2% -2.2%
2009 29.5% +1.1%
2010 30.2% +2.3%
2011 29.7% -1.5%
2012 29.3% -1.5%
2014 27.1% -7.4%
2015 28.2% +3.9%
2016 28.0% -0.4%
2018 27.4% -2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 17.8% 17.8% 17.8% 1
2000s 29.5% 29.2% 29.8% 3
2010s 28.6% 27.1% 30.2% 7

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 8 Türkiye 28.4% compare
  2. 9 Honduras 28.2% compare
  3. 10 Indonesia 27.5% compare
  4. 12 Greece 26.7% compare
  5. 13 Paraguay 25.5% compare
  6. 14 Guatemala 25.0% compare

See the full ranking of 74 places →

More reference data data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Costa Rica?
Uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Costa Rica was 27.4% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 30.2% in 2010.
What is the lowest uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 17.8% in 1973.
How does Costa Rica rank for uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of?
Costa Rica ranks 11th out of 74 countries with data for 2018.
Is uis: percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is primary, both sexes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/uis-percentage-of-population-age-25-whose-highest-level-of-education-is-primary-both-sexes/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ whose highest level of education is primary, both sexes
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
74 places, 809 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The percentage of population (age 25 and over) with completed primary (ISCED 1) as the highest level of educational attainment. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of persons aged 25 years and above with completed primary education as the highest level of educational attainment by the total population of the same age group and multiplying the result by 100. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) educational attainment dataset shows the educational composition of the population aged 25 years and above and hence the stock and quality of human capital within a country. The dataset also reflects the structure and performance of the education system and its accumulated impact on human capital formation. For more information, visit the UNESCO Institute for Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/