Costa Rica Agriculture Employment
Employment in agriculture SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
Costa Rica's agriculture employment was 11.49% in 2025, ranked 83rd globally. This represents a 2.4% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Costa Rica's agriculture employment stood at 11.49% in 2025, a decline of +0.28% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 10.34% by 2026. Costa Rica ranked 83rd globally.
Costa Rica’s share of the labour force employed in agriculture has contracted sharply over the 35‑year series, falling from an all‑time peak of 21.31 percent in 1991 to a trough of 11.49 percent in 2025, the lowest level recorded in the World Bank dataset and ranking the country 83rd globally. The decline reflects structural shifts toward services and manufacturing, higher productivity in agro‑industry, and demographic changes that have drawn workers to urban centres. By contrast, Mexico records a comparable 2025 figure of 11.40 percent, while Kazakhstan stands slightly lower at 11.32 percent, underscoring that Costa Rica now aligns with a group of middle‑income economies where agriculture contributes a modest share of employment. The persistent downward trajectory suggests that without policy interventions to boost agricultural value‑addition or to promote sustainable rural livelihoods, the sector’s share of jobs will likely continue to erode, reinforcing the economy’s service‑oriented orientation.
Data & projection
| Year | Agriculture Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 8.53% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 9.43% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 10.34% | - | - |
| 2025 | 11.49% | −0.28% | #83 |
| 2024 | 11.77% | −1.64% | #83 |
| 2023 | 13.41% | +0.01% | #87 |
| 2022 | 13.41% | −1.80% | #87 |
| 2021 | 15.20% | −1.34% | #93 |
| 2020 | 16.54% | +1.24% | #96 |
| 2019 | 15.31% | −0.48% | #93 |
| 2018 | 15.78% | +0.42% | #91 |
| 2017 | 15.36% | −0.35% | #87 |
| 2016 | 15.72% | −0.08% | #88 |
| 2015 | 15.79% | +1.08% | #88 |
| 2014 | 14.71% | +1.58% | #85 |
| 2013 | 13.13% | −0.49% | #79 |
| 2012 | 13.62% | −0.61% | #80 |
| 2011 | 14.23% | −0.37% | #82 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Costa Rica matched the Orthodox Tightening Cycle pattern in 1995. Historically, 57% of countries showing this pattern (177 out of 311) saw agriculture employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Costa Rica's agriculture employment was 11.49% in 2025. Ranked 83rd globally. This represents a 2.4% decrease from the previous year.
Costa Rica's agriculture employment peaked at 21.31% in 1991.
The lowest agriculture employment in Costa Rica was 11.49% in 2025.
Costa Rica ranks 83rd globally in agriculture employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Costa Rica's agriculture employment is projected to reach 10.34% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The agriculture employment of Costa Rica in 2025 was 11.49%. This ranks 83rd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_costa-rica_agriculture-employment,
title = {Costa Rica Agriculture Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/costa-rica/agriculture-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}