Age dependency ratio, young in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Age dependency ratio, young was 26.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, young in Costa Rica, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
In 2025, age dependency ratio, young in Costa Rica stood at 26.6%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, young in Costa Rica peaked at 92.9% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 26.6%, in 2025.
Costa Rica ranks 143rd of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, young in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 91.9% | — |
| 1961 | 92.5% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 92.9% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 92.9% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 92.7% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 92.2% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 91.4% | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 90.2% | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 88.7% | -1.7% |
| 1969 | 86.9% | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 84.9% | -2.3% |
| 1971 | 82.8% | -2.5% |
| 1972 | 80.5% | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 78.1% | -3.0% |
| 1974 | 75.6% | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 73.2% | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 70.9% | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 68.8% | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 66.9% | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 65.3% | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 63.9% | -2.1% |
| 1981 | 62.8% | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 62.0% | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 61.4% | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 61.1% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 60.9% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 60.9% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 60.9% | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 60.9% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 60.7% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 60.4% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 59.9% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 59.2% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 58.3% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 57.2% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 56.1% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 54.8% | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 53.4% | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 52.0% | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 50.6% | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 49.2% | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 47.7% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 46.3% | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 44.8% | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 43.4% | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 42.0% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 40.8% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 39.6% | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 38.6% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 37.6% | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 36.7% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 35.8% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 35.0% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 34.2% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 33.5% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 32.8% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 32.1% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 31.6% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 31.2% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 30.7% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 30.1% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 29.5% | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 28.8% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 28.0% | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 27.3% | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 26.6% | -2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 91.2% | 86.9% | 92.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 74.7% | 65.3% | 84.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 61.6% | 60.7% | 63.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.2% | 50.6% | 60.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.0% | 37.6% | 49.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.4% | 30.7% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.4% | 26.6% | 30.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 140 Uruguay 27.2% compare
- 141 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 26.8% compare
- 142 Sweden 26.8% compare
- 144 French Polynesia 26.5% compare
- 145 United States of America 26.5% compare
- 146 France 26.5% compare
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 60-64, female, annual growth rate 2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0256 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, young in Costa Rica?
- Age dependency ratio, young in Costa Rica was 26.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, young recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 92.9% in 1963.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, young recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.6% in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for age dependency ratio, young?
- Costa Rica ranks 143rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, young rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. 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, young (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.