Married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Married women are required by law to obey their husbands was 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in 2023. ▲ Rising
Married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Costa Rica, 1970–2023
Source: Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in (1=yes; 0=no).
Analysis
The most recent figure for married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Costa Rica is 1 (1=yes; 0=no), measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Costa Rica peaked at 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in 1974 and was at its lowest, 0 (1=yes; 0=no), in 1970.
That places Costa Rica 1st out of 188 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | (1=yes; 0=no) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1971 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1972 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1973 | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1974 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | — |
| 1975 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6 (1=yes; 0=no) | 0 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 1980s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 1990s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 2000s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 2010s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 10 |
| 2020s | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 1 (1=yes; 0=no) | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 1 Albania 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Algeria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Angola 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Antigua and Barbuda 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Argentina 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Armenia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Australia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Austria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Azerbaijan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bahamas 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bangladesh 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Barbados 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Belarus 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Belgium 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Belize 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Benin 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bhutan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Botswana 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Brazil 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Bulgaria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Burkina Faso 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Burundi 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cambodia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cameroon 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Canada 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cape Verde 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Central African Republic 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Chad 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Chile 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 China 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Colombia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Comoros 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Congo 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Côte d'Ivoire 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Croatia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Cyprus 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Czechia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Denmark 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Dominica 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Dominican Republic 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Timor-Leste 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ecuador 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 El Salvador 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Eritrea 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Estonia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Eswatini 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ethiopia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Fiji 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Finland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 France 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Gabon 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Gambia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Georgia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Germany 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ghana 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Greece 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Grenada 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Guatemala 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Guinea 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Guinea-Bissau 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Guyana 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Haiti 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Honduras 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Hong Kong 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Hungary 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Iceland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 India 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Indonesia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ireland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Israel 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Italy 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Jamaica 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Japan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Kazakhstan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Kenya 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Kiribati 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Kyrgyzstan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Lao People's Democratic Republic 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Latvia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Lebanon 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Lesotho 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Liberia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Libya 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Lithuania 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Luxembourg 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Madagascar 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Malawi 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Maldives 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Malta 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Marshall Islands 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Mauritius 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Mexico 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Micronesia (country) 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Republic of Moldova 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Mongolia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Montenegro 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Morocco 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Mozambique 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Myanmar 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Namibia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Nepal 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Netherlands 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 New Zealand 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Nicaragua 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Niger 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Nigeria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 North Macedonia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Norway 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Oman 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Pakistan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Palau 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Panama 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Papua New Guinea 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Paraguay 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Peru 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Philippines 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Poland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Portugal 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Puerto Rico 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Romania 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Russian Federation 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Rwanda 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Saint Lucia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Samoa 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 San Marino 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Sao Tome and Principe 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Senegal 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Serbia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Seychelles 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Sierra Leone 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Singapore 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Slovakia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Slovenia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Solomon Islands 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Somalia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 South Africa 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Republic of Korea 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 South Sudan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Spain 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Sri Lanka 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Suriname 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Sweden 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Switzerland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Syria 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Tajikistan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Tanzania, United Republic of 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Thailand 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Togo 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Tonga 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Trinidad and Tobago 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Tunisia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Türkiye 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Uganda 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Ukraine 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 United Arab Emirates 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 United States 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Uruguay 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Uzbekistan 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Vanuatu 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
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- 1 Zambia 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
- 1 Zimbabwe 1 (1=yes; 0=no) compare
More gender data for Costa Rica
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 838.24 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -2.49 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 24,787 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 25,901 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 25,098 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 26,214 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 25,387 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 26,504 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 25,723 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 26,841 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Costa Rica?
- Married women are required by law to obey their husbands in Costa Rica was 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in 2023, according to Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest married women are required by law to obey their husbands recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in 1974.
- What is the lowest married women are required by law to obey their husbands recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 (1=yes; 0=no) in 1970.
- How does Costa Rica rank for married women are required by law to obey their husbands?
- Costa Rica ranks 1st out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
- Is married women are required by law to obey their husbands rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Married women are required by law to obey their husbands. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This indicator captures whether family law includes any provision requiring a married woman to obey her husband or penalizing her for disobedience, such as loss of maintenance rights.