† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

Children at Higher Risk

Children living in coastal regions have the highest risk for child labor in agriculture, including coffee production, with the highest incidences of child labor occurring in the provinces of Limon, Puntarenas, and Guanacaste. Afro-descendant, migrant, and indigenous children are particularly vulnerable to labor exploitation in Costa Rica. Children living in tourist destinations, border areas, and in the Northern and Pacific coastal zones are also subjected to commercial sexual exploitation. In addition, migrant girls from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and other Latin American countries have been identified as victims of sex trafficking and domestic work, with children from Nicaragua subjected to forced labor in agriculture, domestic work, and commercial sexual exploitation.

Barriers to Education Access

While preschool and general basic education are free and compulsory, some children in rural areas, girls, LGBTQIA+ youth, children with disabilities, and children from indigenous and Afro-descendant communities face barriers to education access, including discrimination and gender stereotypes. Costa Rica has implemented innovative inclusion models for students and eliminated documentation requirements for enrollment, such as transcripts showing previous schooling or parent's identity documents. However, parents often incorrectly believe that such documents are still necessary, and school officials reportedly sometimes request them, either due to a lack of awareness of current regulations or influenced by discrimination. In addition, as the 2023 education budget was the lowest in 9 years, it may have affected the government's efforts to provide support to vulnerable populations. Moreover, in 2023, 19 percent of educational centers did not have access to water, and 10 percent lacked electricity.

† Country has no standing military
‡ Age calculated based on available information

On August 23, 2023, Costa Rica enacted Directive MAG-N°003-2023, mandating that all institutions in the agricultural sector adhere to the Protocol for Interinstitutional Coordination for the Care of Underage Workers, preventing child labor and ensuring compliance with regulations concerning adolescent workers. The Directive also instructs Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock officials to refer cases of working minors in the agricultural sector to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security's Office for the Eradication of Child Labor and Protection of the Adolescent Worker (OATIA). Despite this effort, as Costa Rica's minimum age for work is lower than the compulsory education age, children may be encouraged to leave school before the completion of compulsory education.

In 2023, 108 labor inspectors conducted 14,031 worksite inspections, finding 1 child labor violation. There were also 53 investigations into suspected worst forms of child labor crimes, with 24 prosecutions initiated and 2 perpetrators convicted.

For information about USDOL’s projects to address child labor around the world, visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/ilab-project-page-search
† Program is funded by the Government of Costa Rica.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor.

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