Central America

Costa Rica

Summary

Explore how common child marriage is throughout the country, how levels have changed over time, and how the situation in this country compares to others.

Absolute number

Prevalence

60.8 thousand

Married by 15: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 15

2%
370.2 thousand

Married by 18: Number of girls and women (left) and percentage of women 20-24 years (right) married before age 18

17%

Prevalence of child marriage

  • Central America
  • Costa Rica
Child marriage age
Show table of data
YearCentral AmericaCosta Rica
199317.0%
199822.7%20.3%
200323.5%24.2%
200824.4%19.8%
201325.1%17.3%
201823.9%17.1%
202322.8%
Child marriage age
Compare with other countries

Costa Rica

Child Marriage
Prevalence

Residence

  • Urban
  • Rural
Show Residence table of data
YearUrbanRural
201815.0%23.9%

Wealth

  • Poorest
  • Second
  • Middle
  • Fourth
  • Richest
Show Wealth table of data
YearPoorestSecondMiddleFourthRichest
201840.4%24.5%13.5%6.1%2.3%

Education

  • No schooling
  • Primary education
  • Secondary or higher
Show Education table of data
YearNo schoolingPrimary educationSecondary or higher
201858.7%13.2%
Child marriage age

Compare regions of Costa Rica

Understand differences inside the country

Touch the timeline to see how the child marriage affect differently each sub-region of Costa Rica in the last decades.

Levels of child marriage vary across different parts of Costa Rica. See the range of values within the country, and explore the map for details.

Prevalence of child marriage

Compare regions of Costa Rica

Understand differences
inside the country

24% 9% 31% 34% 10% 18% 11%
Child marriage age

Region with no data

2018

Prevalence of child marriage in each region of Costa Rica in 2018

0%100%
Show table of data
YearCosta RicaAlajuelaCartagoGuanacasteHerediaLimónPuntarenasSan José
17.1%18.3%11.3%24.2%8.7%30.7%33.8%9.9%
Child marriage age

Compare countries

How does Costa Rica compare to other countries?

Prevalence of child marriage

  • Costa Rica
Child marriage age
Show table of data
YearCosta Rica
199317.0%
199820.3%
200324.2%
200819.8%
201317.3%
201817.1%

Residence

Child marriage prevalence

Review the data to find if girls living in rural areas are more likely to marry in childhood than girls in urban areas

Show table of data
CountryUrbanRuralTotal prevalence
Costa Rica15.0%23.9%17.1%
Perspective
Child marriage age

For more data related to child marriage, please see the child marriage country profiles available on the UNICEF Data website

UNICEF Data

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Where does child marriage occur?

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