Costa Rica
Last updated April 1, 2026
Composite GEFRI Score
Emerging readiness
Costa Rica demonstrates early-stage readiness (47th percentile worldwide). Investments are generating initial gains, yet substantial gaps persist in several dimensions. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.
- Global percentile
- 47th
- Global rank
- #94
- Regional rank
- #13
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Costa Rica performs close to the global average across all GEFRI dimensions. Progress is evident, yet stronger ambition is needed to reach futures readiness among global peers.
Wide gaps between dimensions reveal structural weaknesses that slow coordinated progress. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation.
Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.
Regionally, School Access and Gender Parity lags peers the most, signalling where investment could have the highest impact.
Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.
Key insights
- Places 94th worldwide.
- Holds a regional position of 13th within Latin America & Caribbean .
- Scores range from Infrastructure (72.7) to Access & Parity (5.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
- Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.
Regional peers: Latin America & Caribbean
Composite GEFRI score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 1 | Chile | 69.22 |
| 41 | 2 | Argentina | 63.46 |
| 45 | 3 | Uruguay | 61.84 |
| — | — | BarbadosMicrostate | 61.53 |
| — | — | Cayman IslandsMicrostate | 60.64 |
| — | — | St. Kitts and NevisMicrostate | 59.49 |
| — | — | Antigua and BarbudaMicrostate | 58.12 |
| 61 | 4 | Peru | 57.90 |
| — | — | GrenadaMicrostate | 56.27 |
| — | — | Turks and Caicos IslandsMicrostate | 55.44 |
| 73 | 5 | Colombia | 55.23 |
| 75 | 6 | Mexico | 54.99 |
| 79 | 7 | Cuba | 53.32 |
| 81 | 8 | Puerto Rico (US) | 53.10 |
| 86 | 9 | Dominican Republic | 51.42 |
| — | — | DominicaMicrostate | 51.11 |
| 88 | 10 | Ecuador | 51.07 |
| 89 | 11 | Brazil | 51.03 |
| — | — | St. LuciaMicrostate | 50.66 |
| 93 | 12 | Bolivia | 50.30 |
| 94 | 13 | Costa Rica | 50.00 |
| — | — | St. Vincent and the GrenadinesMicrostate | 49.59 |
| — | — | ArubaMicrostate | 48.98 |
| — | — | British Virgin IslandsMicrostate | 48.56 |
| — | — | St. Martin (French part)Microstate | 47.36 |
| 100 | 14 | Jamaica | 46.92 |
| — | — | CuracaoMicrostate | 46.80 |
| — | — | Sint Maarten (Dutch part)Microstate | 46.76 |
| — | — | Virgin Islands (U.S.)Microstate | 46.46 |
| 101 | 15 | Panama | 46.26 |
| 102 | 16 | Bahamas, The | 46.13 |
| 103 | 17 | Belize | 44.33 |
| 104 | 18 | Trinidad and Tobago | 43.67 |
| 105 | 19 | Paraguay | 43.39 |
| 111 | 20 | Venezuela, RBFCS | 39.80 |
| 118 | 21 | El Salvador | 37.88 |
| 120 | 22 | Guyana | 37.09 |
| 123 | 23 | Suriname | 35.94 |
| 130 | 24 | Honduras | 33.08 |
| 133 | 25 | Guatemala | 32.18 |
| 139 | 26 | Nicaragua | 30.15 |
| 161 | 27 | HaitiFCS | 22.72 |