Embedded Files
By: Stella Clark
Country Overview
Costa Rica is an upper/middle income country with a fairly diversified economy dependent on agriculture, services, and ecotourism. Many Costa Rican, in particular youths and professionals, migrate abroad seeking educational and economic opportunities. Costa Rica receives migrant workers from neighboring Nicaragua.
Key Labor Export Statistics
Approximately 140,000 Costa Ricans emigrated in 2023 (IOM 2023)
Around 70% of Costa Rican migrants are between of working age (20-59)
51% of labor migrants from Costa Rica are female, while 49% are male (UN DESA 2023)
Main employment sectors abroad: healthcare, hospitality, education, and technical services (IOM 2023; OECD 2024)
Top Destination Countries
United States
Spain
Nicaragua
Panama
(UN DESA 2023; IOM 2023)
Remittance Data
Annual remittance inflow (2024): 950 million USD
Share of GDP: About 1.3% (World Bank KNOMAD 2024)
Legal Gaps
Costa Rica has an objectively progressive labor legislation but lacks in bilateral agreements protecting its migrant workers abroad. Enforcement of migrant labor rights is inconsistent, resulting in a lack of resources and support for migrant workers (ILO 2024; U.S. Department of State 2024). There are few government programs in place to assist these workers with reintegration after a period abroad.
NGO & Support Resources
International Organization for Migration (IOM): IOM
Fundación para la Paz y la Democracia (FUNPADEM): FUNPADEM
Centro Internacional para los Derechos Humanos de los Migrantes (CIDEHUM): CIDEHUM
“Costa Rica’s migration dynamic is twofold — it relies on foreign labor while quietly losing its own skilled workers to higher-paying markets abroad.”
— International Organization for Migration, Regional Migration Overview 2023
Sources
International Organization for Migration (IOM). 2023. Migration Trends in Central America and the Caribbean. San José: IOM Regional Office. Accessed October 14, 2025.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). 2023. International Migrant Stock 2023 Database. Accessed October 14, 2025.
World Bank. 2024. World Development Indicators: Costa Rica. Washington, DC.
World Bank KNOMAD. 2024. Remittance Inflows (USD and % of GDP) by Country. Washington, DC.
International Labour Organization (ILO). 2024. Country Profile: Costa Rica – Labour Migration and Decent Work. Geneva.
U.S. Department of State. 2024. Trafficking in Persons Report – Costa Rica Section. Washington, DC.
OECD. 2024. International Migration Outlook. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Google Sites
Report abuse