Age dependency ratio in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Age dependency ratio was 45.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Costa Rica, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for age dependency ratio in Costa Rica is 45.1%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Costa Rica peaked at 99.0% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 45.0%, in 2024.
That places Costa Rica 179th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 97.9% | — |
| 1961 | 98.5% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 98.9% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 98.8% | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 98.3% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 97.5% | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 96.4% | -1.2% |
| 1968 | 94.8% | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 93.1% | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 91.1% | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 89.0% | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 86.7% | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 84.3% | -2.8% |
| 1974 | 81.9% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 79.5% | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 77.3% | -2.8% |
| 1977 | 75.2% | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 73.4% | -2.4% |
| 1979 | 71.9% | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 70.5% | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 69.5% | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 68.7% | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 68.2% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 67.9% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 67.9% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 67.9% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 68.0% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 68.1% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 68.0% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 67.6% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 67.0% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 66.3% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 65.4% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 64.3% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 63.2% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 61.9% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 60.6% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 59.3% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 58.0% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 56.7% | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 55.3% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 54.0% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 52.8% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 51.7% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 50.6% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 49.7% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 48.9% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 48.2% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 47.5% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 47.0% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 46.5% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 46.1% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 45.8% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 45.5% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 45.3% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 45.3% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 45.3% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 45.4% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 45.4% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 45.3% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 45.1% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 45.0% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 45.0% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 45.1% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | 45.3% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.1% | 45.0% | 45.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More health data for Costa Rica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.78 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,632 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 35 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 4.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0207 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 4.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0176 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Costa Rica?
- Age dependency ratio in Costa Rica was 45.1% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 99.0% in 1963.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.0% in 2024.
- How does Costa Rica rank for age dependency ratio?
- Costa Rica ranks 179th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.