Costa Rica Literacy Rate
Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
Costa Rica's literacy rate was 97.41% in 2011, ranked 17th globally. This represents a 2.7% increase from 2010. Data from World Bank, covering 1984–2011.
Overview
Costa Rica's literacy rate stood at 97.41% in 2011, a rise of +2.54pp from 2000. Costa Rica ranked 17th globally.
Costa Rica has demonstrated a notable improvement in literacy rates over the past few decades, with the rate increasing from 92.63% in 1984 to 97.41% in 2011, its all-time peak. This significant advancement allowed Costa Rica to rank among the top 20 countries globally in terms of literacy, surpassing many of its peer nations such as Albania, which ranked 96.85% in the same year. Costa Rica's progress is particularly remarkable considering that it achieved this high literacy rate in a relatively short period of time, with a coverage of only three years between the earliest and latest data points. In comparison to other countries, Costa Rica's literacy rate is slightly lower than that of Spain, but it has managed to keep pace with its peer Chile, which had a literacy rate of 96.70% in 2011. A continued investment in education and a strong commitment to social welfare programs will be crucial in maintaining Costa Rica's high literacy rate and potentially even surpassing its current peak in the coming years.
Data & projection
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 literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Costa Rica's literacy rate was 97.41% in 2011. Ranked 17th globally. This represents a 2.7% increase from the previous year.
Costa Rica's literacy rate peaked at 97.41% in 2011.
The lowest literacy rate in Costa Rica was 92.63% in 1984.
Costa Rica ranks 17th globally in literacy rate as of 2011.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.LITR.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The literacy rate of Costa Rica in 2011 was 97.41%. This ranks 17th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_costa-rica_literacy-rate,
title = {Costa Rica Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/costa-rica/literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}