Photo: Henry Zbyszynski from Capitola California, USA · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Costa Rica: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Costa Rica is placed 5th of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 91.88 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.907 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
5th
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 91.88Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.907Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 25.26Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- 10.9Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Costa Rica on gender & equality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
91.88
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Costa Rica: 91.88. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 3.125 (Afghanistan) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.
- World median
- 81.25
- Best in Central America
- 91.88 Costa Rica
- Land neighbours
- Nicaragua 86.25 · Panama 79.38
Key 2 of 4
Women's Political Empowerment Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.907
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Costa Rica: 0.907. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.028 (Afghanistan) to 0.954 (Denmark); the world median is 0.772.
- World median
- 0.772
- Best in Central America
- 0.907 Costa Rica
- Land neighbours
- Nicaragua 0.531 · Panama 0.742
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Costa Rica’s is from 2023 · CC BY 4.0
25.26
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Costa Rica: 25.26. Across the 179 countries at their latest reading, values run from 1.429 (Qatar) to 62.9 (Kiribati); the world median is 19.16.
- World median
- 19.16
- Best in Central America
- 28.42 Panama
- Land neighbours
- Nicaragua 26.99 · Panama 28.42
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
10.9
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
Costa Rica: 10.9. Across the 140 countries in this edition, values run from 6.7 (Norway) to 67.4 (Mauritania); the world median is 25.2.
- World median
- 25.2
- Best in Central America
- 10.9 Costa Rica
- Land neighbours
- Nicaragua 21.2 · Panama 15.2
02Over time
Which way Costa Rica is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Women, Business and the Law
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) · higher is better
Costa RicaWorld median
Costa Rica rose from 77.5 in 2000 to 91.88 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Costa Rica World median 2025 92 81.3 2023 92 81.3 2022 92 80.3 2021 86 80.0 2020 86 79.7 2019 83 78.8 2018 80 77.5 2017 80 77.5 2016 80 76.9 2015 80 75.9 2014 80 75.6 2013 80 75.0 2012 80 73.8 2011 80 73.1 2010 80 73.1 2009 80 72.5 2008 80 71.3 2007 78 69.7 2006 78 68.8 2005 78 67.2 2004 78 66.9 2003 78 64.7 2002 78 63.8 2001 78 63.8 2000 78 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
Costa RicaWorld median
Costa Rica fell from 0.938 in 2000 to 0.907 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Costa Rica World median 2025 0.907 0.7715 2024 0.920 0.7745 2023 0.920 0.7755 2022 0.920 0.7825 2021 0.916 0.7785 2020 0.911 0.7755 2019 0.914 0.7665 2018 0.912 0.7715 2017 0.911 0.7710 2016 0.916 0.7780 2015 0.916 0.7755 2014 0.934 0.7795 2013 0.936 0.7730 2012 0.943 0.7740 2011 0.938 0.7650 2010 0.937 0.7610 2009 0.943 0.7515 2008 0.943 0.7505 2007 0.943 0.7380 2006 0.941 0.7290 2005 0.940 0.7350 2004 0.945 0.7205 2003 0.945 0.7160 2002 0.945 0.7150 2001 0.938 0.6950 2000 0.938 0.6810
03In context
Costa Rica beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 183 countries on gender & equality, never a place within the region.
Costa Rica and the countries it borders
Standing among all 183; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Women, Business and the LawWBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) | Women's Political Empowerment IndexWomen's political empowerment index (0–1) | Firms with a Female Top ManagerFirms with a female top manager (%) | Social Institutions and Gender IndexSIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 5th | 91.88 | 0.907 | 25.26 | 10.9 |
 Panama | 67th | 79.38 | 0.742 | 28.42 | 15.2 |
 Nicaragua | 87th | 86.25 | 0.531 | 26.99 | 21.2 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Central America
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Costa Rica in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Costa Rica is ahead of the world, and behind
25 more statistics filed under gender & equality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median14
Statistics on which Costa Rica does better than the middle country measured.
Female Share of Senior and Middle ManagementILO · 2024 · world median 35.8650.0735.86▲ Improved since 2017
Costa Rica: 50.07 · world median 35.86 · Women in senior and middle management (% of managers). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 7.226 to 56.69; higher is better.
Position 6th of 86 · derived.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.43.422.4No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 3.4 · world median 22.4 · Women aged 15-49 who say a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.2 to 80.2; lower is better.
Position 115th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Global Gender Parity IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.7260.8440.726No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 0.844 · world median 0.726 · Global Gender Parity Index (women's achievements relative to men's; 1 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women, 2023 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.141 to 0.925; higher is better.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2583.771.25▼ Worsened since 2013
Costa Rica: 83.7 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 29th of 196 · derived.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1253.0135.12No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 53.01 · world median 35.12 · Firms with at least one woman among the owners (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.273 to 86.78; higher is better.
Position 31st of 181 · derived.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8194.181No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 94.1 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 28th of 153 · derived.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 9812098▼ Worsened since 2015
Costa Rica: 120 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 383▲ Improved since 2015
Costa Rica: 8 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.2170.351▲ Improved since 2013
Costa Rica: 0.217 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 55th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Women's Empowerment IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.6150.6770.615No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 0.677 · world median 0.615 · Women's Empowerment Index (0–1; higher = more empowerment). UNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women, 2023 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.141 to 0.828; higher is better.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.6524.1246.65▼ Worsened since 2013
Costa Rica: 24.12 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 120th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9750.971▼ Worsened since 2013
Costa Rica: 0.975 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 79th of 184 · derived.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.997.896.9No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 97.8 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4626.2527.46▲ Improved since 2013
Costa Rica: 26.25 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 115th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median3
Statistics on which Costa Rica does worse than the middle country measured.
Account Ownership Among WomenWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 71.2468.2871.24▼ Worsened since 2014
Costa Rica: 68.28 · world median 71.24 · Women with an account (% of women aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 11.91 to 99.85; higher is better.
Position 74th of 139 · derived.
Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance) · 2023 · world median 99.398.999.3▼ Worsened since 2013
Costa Rica: 98.9 · world median 99.3 · Births attended by skilled health staff (%). UNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 60.9 to 100; higher is better.
Position 48th of 84 · derived.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3646.0253.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Costa Rica: 46.02 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 134th of 182 · derived.
Level with the median, or no median to compare2
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.117.117.1No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 17.1 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 73rd of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to LandFAO · 2025 · world median 333No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 3 · world median 3 · Level of legal guarantees of women's equal rights to land ownership and control, 1 (lowest) to 6 (highest). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 6; higher is better.
No better end6
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2139.6333.21No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 39.63 · world median 33.21 · Households headed by a woman (% of households). UN DESA Population Division, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 5.33 to 64.59.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.6528.120.65No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 28.1 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1742.8838.17No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 42.88 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6526.424.65No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 26.4 · world median 24.65 · Singulate mean age at marriage, women (years). UN DESA Population Division, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 17 to 34.
Female Share of STEM GraduatesUIS · 2023 · world median 35.334.7135.3Moved since 2015
Costa Rica: 34.71 · world median 35.3 · STEM graduates who are women (%; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.333 to 55.96.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1104.5105.1No real change since 2013
Costa Rica: 104.5 · world median 105.1 · Male births per 100 female births. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 101.1 to 116.3.
No current reading for Costa Rica
Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2019), Gender Social Norms Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Gender & Equality among Costa Rica’s 16 topics
Gender & Equality is Costa Rica’s 2nd best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Peace & Security2nd of 1773/4 keys
- Gender & Equality5th of 1834/4 keys
- Energy12th of 1653/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties31st of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions32nd of 1944/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge53rd of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing60th of 2004/4 keys
- Economy & Innovationjoint 57th of 1764/4 keys
- Digital & Technology67th of 1984/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital70th of 1963/3 keys
- Food & Agriculture80th of 1844/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability84th of 1864/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade84th of 1774/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 92nd of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 104th of 1934/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality110th of 1593/3 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Costa Rica can most readily be measured against.
1
LatviaNorthern Europe
1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
TaiwanEastern Asia
2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
Costa Rica5th4/4 keys
Positions out of 183 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Costa Rica on gender & equality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Costa Rica rank on gender & equality?
Costa Rica is placed 5th of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law, Women's Political Empowerment Index, Firms with a Female Top Manager and Social Institutions and Gender Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Women, Business and the Law figure for Costa Rica?
91.88 in 2025 (wBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 81.25.
What is the latest Women's Political Empowerment Index figure for Costa Rica?
0.907 in 2025 (women's political empowerment index (0–1)), according to V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. The world median in the same edition was 0.772.
How does Costa Rica compare with Nicaragua on gender & equality?
Nicaragua is placed 87th of 183, and Costa Rica 5th. Women, Business and the Law: Nicaragua 86.25, Costa Rica 91.88; Women's Political Empowerment Index: Nicaragua 0.531, Costa Rica 0.907; Firms with a Female Top Manager: Nicaragua 26.99, Costa Rica 25.26; Social Institutions and Gender Index: Nicaragua 21.2, Costa Rica 10.9.
How have Costa Rica’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 77.5 in 2000 to 91.88 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index fell from 0.938 in 2000 to 0.907 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Costa Rica?
No current reading is published for Costa Rica on Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Gender Social Norms Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Violence against women is not a key here, because comparable data covers too few countries. The Gender Inequality Index is published here as context rather than as a key: its reading is driven largely by maternal and adolescent health, which moves with a country’s overall development and is already measured under Development and Health. Women’s labour force participation, women in management and child marriage are published here as context too.
How the Gender & Equality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The gender & equality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Women, Business and the Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Women's Political Empowerment Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Firms with a Female Top Manager — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Social Institutions and Gender Index — OECD, OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
The other 25 statistics on this page come from 10 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Costa Rica’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Costa Rica (banner) — Henry Zbyszynski from Capitola California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Costa Rica: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/costa-rica/gender