Three out of 10 minors are currently working in agriculture and fisheries in Costa Rica, as reported by the 2016 Child and Adolescent Work Module, submitted by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC).
On the occasion of World Day against Child Labor and with the presence of Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis and other high-ranking officials, INEC researcher Eddy Madrigal unveiled that the child labor rate increased from 31.3 (2011) to 33.2 percent (2016). According to INEC, about 30,000 under-18-year-old children are currently serving for the labor market, accounting for 3.1 percent of the total population of that age group.
Concerning the group of five to 14-year-old children, 8,071 are employed, accounting for 1.1 percent of the total, while among adolescents aged 15 to 17, 22,298 are presently working. Madrigal stated that statistical analysis is aimed at providing updated quantitative information as a basis for generating programs and projects, as well as preventing and promoting better conditions for working minors.