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Costa Rica's economy ranking: GDP & GDP per capita, debt

Updated on by Georank team

Costa Rica ranked 72/197 by economy size with a GDP of $95.4B and 62/197 by GDP per capita at $18,587. Costa Rica has $57B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 59.7%.

In 2025, Costa Rica made up 0.09% of the world's economy, compared to 0.04% in 1960.

The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.

GDP, current $
GDP, constant 2015 $
GDP growth
Year GDP GDP growth
Current $ Constant $
1960 $507,513,830 $4,791,476,273 -
1961 $490,325,182 $4,881,521,363 -3.39%
1962 $479,180,824 $5,147,192,861 -2.27%
1963 $511,902,137 $5,502,293,756 6.83%
1964 $542,578,367 $5,703,625,343 5.99%
1965 $592,981,162 $6,170,782,350 9.29%
1966 $647,305,630 $6,600,843,859 9.16%
1967 $699,456,619 $6,973,799,849 8.06%
1968 $773,841,494 $7,564,711,134 10.6%
1969 $853,630,204 $7,980,149,936 10.3%
1970 $984,830,158 $8,578,911,307 15.4%
1971 $1,077,147,538 $9,160,433,275 9.37%
1972 $1,238,251,696 $9,909,577,643 15%
1973 $1,528,925,846 $10,673,498,641 23.5%
1974 $1,666,544,754 $11,265,333,466 9%
1975 $1,960,863,466 $11,501,913,473 17.7%
1976 $2,412,555,426 $12,136,538,956 23%
1977 $3,072,427,013 $13,217,233,964 27.4%
1978 $3,523,208,810 $14,045,648,796 14.7%
1979 $4,035,519,323 $14,739,380,800 14.5%
1980 $4,831,447,001 $14,850,205,527 19.7%
1981 $2,623,803,096 $14,514,345,036 -45.7%
1982 $2,606,623,555 $13,456,892,436 -0.65%
1983 $3,146,772,631 $13,842,162,284 20.7%
1984 $3,660,477,856 $14,952,872,322 16.3%
1985 $3,919,203,960 $15,060,772,508 7.07%
1986 $4,418,983,871 $15,894,574,653 12.8%
1987 $4,532,952,047 $16,651,876,952 2.58%
1988 $4,614,629,898 $17,223,393,910 1.8%
1989 $5,251,025,767 $18,199,267,198 13.8%
1990 $5,711,687,787 $18,845,898,693 8.77%
1991 $7,215,725,487 $19,272,881,732 26.3%
1992 $8,579,754,758 $21,046,199,573 18.9%
1993 $9,564,815,975 $22,539,888,605 11.5%
1994 $10,489,903,725 $23,558,472,567 9.67%
1995 $11,578,594,260 $24,537,080,455 10.4%
1996 $11,678,424,507 $24,868,443,787 0.86%
1997 $12,614,602,382 $26,230,280,995 8.02%
1998 $13,684,255,947 $28,107,138,541 8.48%
1999 $14,254,866,285 $29,291,801,357 4.17%
2000 $15,013,629,662 $30,425,018,574 5.32%
2001 $15,976,174,337 $31,487,207,663 6.41%
2002 $16,578,820,687 $32,563,086,628 3.77%
2003 $17,271,760,507 $33,968,893,648 4.18%
2004 $18,610,594,846 $35,471,881,179 7.75%
2005 $20,040,642,477 $36,882,479,548 7.68%
2006 $22,715,540,324 $39,584,746,492 13.3%
2007 $26,884,700,709 $42,836,685,662 18.4%
2008 $30,801,745,700 $44,866,362,741 14.6%
2009 $30,745,714,313 $44,474,474,829 -0.18%
2010 $37,658,616,952 $46,858,459,461 22.5%
2011 $42,762,613,699 $48,921,712,049 13.6%
2012 $47,231,655,432 $51,310,359,848 10.5%
2013 $50,949,668,842 $52,590,433,318 7.87%
2014 $52,016,408,854 $54,453,244,251 2.09%
2015 $56,441,920,821 $56,441,920,821 8.51%
2016 $58,847,019,610 $58,814,921,621 4.26%
2017 $60,516,044,657 $61,260,269,008 2.84%
2018 $62,420,164,992 $62,862,779,083 3.15%
2019 $64,417,670,521 $64,382,494,196 3.2%
2020 $62,395,610,760 $61,631,202,098 -3.14%
2021 $64,960,725,734 $66,522,107,766 4.11%
2022 $69,243,626,029 $69,549,856,033 6.59%
2023 $86,497,941,439 $73,105,190,308 24.9%
2024 $95,350,423,177 $76,264,229,554 10.2%

Economic Statistics of Costa Rica

Costa Rica Rank
Gross domestic product
$95.4B
2024
72/197
GDP growth
10.2%
2023-2024
36/196
GDP per capita
$18,587
2024
62/197
GDP per capita, PPP
$30,063
2024
73/197
Government debt
$57B
2024
69/185
Debt-to-GDP ratio
59.7%
2025
83/185
Government debt per person
$11,106
2024
51/185
Average annual personal income after taxes
$12,322
2025
64/197
Listed domestic companies
9
2022
99/103
Market capitalization of domestic companies
$2.23B
2022
90/100
Income share by richest 10%
34.2%
2024
21/169
Income share by poorest 10%
1.7%
2024
150/169
Government expenditure, % of GDP
18.3%
2025
169/195
Consumer prices inflation
-0.41%
2023-2024
189/195
Central bank interest rate
3.75%
2025
79/105
Unemployment rate
6.94%
2024
64/196
Population
5170484
126/197

Costa Rica's GDP per capita

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $18,587, ranking 62/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $30,063, ranking 73/197, and a median annual after tax income of $12,322, ranking 64/197.

GDP per capita
GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $382 -
1961 $356 -
1962 $335 -
1963 $346 -
1964 $354 -
1965 $374 -
1966 $395 -
1967 $414 -
1968 $445 -
1969 $477 -
1970 $536 -
1971 $570 -
1972 $639 -
1973 $769 -
1974 $817 -
1975 $937 -
1976 $1,123 -
1977 $1,393 -
1978 $1,556 -
1979 $1,735 -
1980 $2,021 -
1981 $1,068 -
1982 $1,032 -
1983 $1,213 -
1984 $1,372 -
1985 $1,429 -
1986 $1,569 -
1987 $1,567 -
1988 $1,555 -
1989 $1,725 -
1990 $1,830 $5,021
1991 $2,253 $5,175
1992 $2,612 $5,635
1993 $2,840 $6,025
1994 $3,040 $6,276
1995 $3,275 $6,515
1996 $3,227 $6,568
1997 $3,408 $6,890
1998 $3,617 $7,306
1999 $3,691 $7,563
2000 $3,813 $7,879
2001 $3,985 $8,190
2002 $4,068 $8,461
2003 $4,173 $8,863
2004 $4,431 $9,365
2005 $4,703 $9,899
2006 $5,257 $10,800
2007 $6,138 $11,842
2008 $6,937 $12,472
2009 $6,833 $12,274
2010 $8,266 $12,928
2011 $9,276 $13,614
2012 $10,127 $14,464
2013 $10,803 $15,232
2014 $10,911 $16,394
2015 $11,715 $17,525
2016 $12,091 $19,202
2017 $12,317 $20,499
2018 $12,590 $21,498
2019 $12,885 $23,340
2020 $12,394 $22,100
2021 $12,838 $23,853
2022 $13,626 $25,925
2023 $16,942 $28,075
2024 $18,587 $30,063

Costa Rica's government spending, deficit, and chart

This chart shows Costa Rica's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.

Over the past 50 years, Costa Rica recorded a fiscal deficit in 47 years — average annual deficit equal to -3.49% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $18B (18.3% of GDP), with a deficit of -3.23%.

The national debt reached $57B, ranking 69th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 59.7%, ranking 83rd.

Government spending
Government debt
Deficit/surplus
Year % of GDP
Government spending Government debt Government deficit/surplus
1956 12.7% 15.3% 0.05%
1957 12% 16.2% 0.3%
1958 11.9% 14.6% 0%
1959 12.1% 17.1% 0.49%
1960 12.5% 16.1% -0.19%
1961 13.2% 20.3% -0.71%
1962 14% 19.7% -1.99%
1963 13.3% 21.8% -2.01%
1964 13.5% 22.7% -1.51%
1965 13.8% 24.1% -1.71%
1966 14.3% 24.8% -2.12%
1967 14.7% 26.7% -3.03%
1968 13.8% 27.7% -1.72%
1969 14.5% 26.1% -1.61%
1970 14.9% 28.6% -1.41%
1971 17.5% 30.4% -4.72%
1972 17.2% 31.8% -4.54%
1973 18.4% 32.8% -2.41%
1974 18.3% 30.3% 0.26%
1975 19.1% 26.1% -1.13%
1976 20.1% 29.5% -2.42%
1977 19.3% 27.8% -2.63%
1978 23.2% 41.7% -4.12%
1979 24.9% 39.5% -6.6%
1980 25% 37.7% -7.24%
1981 21% 32.3% -3.14%
1982 18.4% 31.8% -0.94%
1983 23.6% 29.8% -1.84%
1984 22.8% 25.2% -0.5%
1985 21.8% 22.8% -1.06%
1986 26.4% 26.1% -4.26%
1987 27.2% 21.2% -2.57%
1988 24.5% 18.2% 0.57%
1989 26.1% 19.3% -1.55%
1990 18.9% 18.5% -4.4%
1991 14% 28.4% -2.41%
1992 13.7% 23.3% -1.51%
1993 13.8% 24.4% -1.52%
1994 17.4% 27% -5.46%
1995 16.4% 29.1% -3.68%
1996 17.3% 33.7% -4.32%
1997 16.3% 30.6% -3.39%
1998 16% 40.7% -2.96%
1999 16.7% 39% -2.88%
2000 16.9% 38.9% -3.68%
2001 17.3% 39.6% -3.47%
2002 18.6% 41.4% -4.99%
2003 17.6% 40.6% -3.43%
2004 17% 41% -3.42%
2005 15.9% 37.3% -2.09%
2006 15.2% 33% -1.04%
2007 14.6% 27% 0.56%
2008 15.2% 24% 0.18%
2009 16.7% 26% -3.25%
2010 18% 28.1% -4.96%
2011 17.2% 29.5% -3.91%
2012 17.3% 33.7% -4.22%
2013 18.5% 35.1% -5.25%
2014 18.4% 37.4% -5.45%
2015 18.8% 39.8% -5.52%
2016 18.8% 44.1% -5.09%
2017 19.2% 47.1% -5.88%
2018 18.9% 51.8% -5.66%
2019 21.7% 56.4% -6.68%
2020 22.3% 66.9% -8.38%
2021 20.8% 67.6% -5.09%
2022 19.2% 63% -2.81%
2023 18.5% 61.1% -3.25%
2024 18.9% 59.8% -3.78%
2025 18.3% 59.7% -3.23%

Inflation rate by year

Over the past 20 years, Costa Rica has had an average annual inflation rate of 4.91%. In 2024, inflation was -0.41%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.

Year Inflation
1960 0.79%
1961 2.43%
1962 2.68%
1963 2.93%
1964 3.32%
1965 -0.67%
1966 0.18%
1967 1.21%
1968 4.09%
1969 2.63%
1970 4.65%
1971 3.08%
1972 4.6%
1973 15.2%
1974 30.1%
1975 17.4%
1976 3.49%
1977 4.19%
1978 6.01%
1979 9.19%
1980 18.1%
1981 37.1%
1982 90.1%
1983 32.6%
1984 11.9%
1985 15.1%
1986 11.8%
1987 16.8%
1988 20.8%
1989 16.5%
1990 19%
1991 28.7%
1992 21.8%
1993 9.78%
1994 13.5%
1995 23.2%
1996 17.5%
1997 13.2%
1998 11.7%
1999 10%
2000 11%
2001 11.3%
2002 9.17%
2003 9.45%
2004 12.3%
2005 13.8%
2006 11.5%
2007 9.36%
2008 13.4%
2009 7.84%
2010 5.66%
2011 4.88%
2012 4.5%
2013 5.23%
2014 4.52%
2015 0.8%
2016 -0.02%
2017 1.63%
2018 2.22%
2019 2.1%
2020 0.72%
2021 1.73%
2022 8.27%
2023 0.53%
2024 -0.41%

Balance of trade

Costa Rica Rank
Current account balance
-$1.29B
2024
129/189
Current account balance, % of GDP
-1.35%
2024
93/189
Goods imports
$23.2B
2024
77/188
Goods exports
$20.7B
2024
75/188
Service imports
$7.29B
2024
77/188
Service exports
$16.1B
2024
56/188
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
32.8%
2024
120/180
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
38.5%
2024
82/193

Costa Rica's top 10 trading partners

Costa Rica's biggest trading partner accounting for 42.1%% of all exports and imports is the United States, with a trade balance between the two of +$877M — Costa Rica exports $9.53B worth of goods and services to the United States and imports $8.65B.

Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Costa Rica.

Rank Country Trade value Share of total trade Export to Import from Top export to Top import from
1 United States $18.2B 42.1% $9.53B $8.65B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
2 China $4.42B 10.2% $383M $4.04B Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
3 Netherlands $2.06B 4.78% $1.71B $348M Machinery & equipment Raw materials & minerals
4 Mexico $1.85B 4.29% $332M $1.52B Processed food, beverages & tobacco Machinery & equipment
5 Guatemala $1.65B 3.82% $1.03B $622M Processed food, beverages & tobacco Chemicals & pharma
6 Belgium $1.12B 2.59% $987M $132M Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
7 Panama $993M 2.3% $614M $380M Processed food, beverages & tobacco Raw materials & minerals
8 Nicaragua $953M 2.21% $737M $216M Processed food, beverages & tobacco Raw agricultural goods
9 Japan $848M 1.96% $240M $607M Machinery & equipment Machinery & equipment
10 El Salvador $790M 1.83% $500M $290M Processed food, beverages & tobacco Chemicals & pharma

Costa Rica's top 10 exports

Costa Rica Rank
Machinery & equipment $9.81B 45/193
Business & finance services $5.37B 42/188
Transport & tourism services $5B 66/188
Raw agricultural goods $3.62B 38/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $2.58B 54/192
IT & IP services $1.89B 49/183
Chemicals & pharma $1.43B 67/193
Metals $670M 79/192
Raw materials & minerals $444M 125/193
Animal & marine products $425M 76/192

Costa Rica's top 10 imports

Costa Rica Rank
Machinery & equipment $7.91B 75/193
Chemicals & pharma $4.34B 69/193
Raw materials & minerals $3.29B 89/193
Transport & tourism services $3.13B 79/188
Metals $1.88B 75/193
Textiles & consumer goods $1.8B 80/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $1.6B 81/193
Business & finance services $1.56B 72/188
IT & IP services $1.15B 57/182
Raw agricultural goods $1.11B 81/193

Economic freedom indices

Costa Rica Rank
Economic freedom 68.6 47/197
Property rights 65.9 60/182
Government integrity 60.4 60/182
Judicial effectiveness 75.7 60/182
Tax burden 78.5 97/181
Government spending 88.6 32/180
Fiscal health 70.8 91/181
Business freedom 80.3 32/182
Labor freedom 62.1 47/182
Monetary freedom 74.9 43/180
Trade freedom 75.4 70/181
Investment freedom 50 108/181
Financial freedom 40 108/181

Costa Rica's economic freedom by year

Costa Rica is ranked 41/180 for economic freedom with a score of 68.6, compared to 41/163 and a score of 66.1 in 2005.

Economic freedom
Judicial effectiveness
Tax burden
Government spending
Fiscal health
Year Index
Economic freedom Judicial effectiveness Tax burden Government spending Fiscal health
1995 68 - 82.6 90.8 -
1996 66.4 - 82.5 90.5 -
1997 65.6 - 82.7 87.9 -
1998 65.6 - 82.4 87 -
1999 67.4 - 83.2 85.9 -
2000 68.4 - 83.2 88 -
2001 67.6 - 83.2 88 -
2002 67.5 - 83.3 85.5 -
2003 67 - 83.2 83.6 -
2004 66.4 - 83 78.1 -
2005 66.1 - 83 84.7 -
2006 65.9 - 83 85.2 -
2007 64 - 83 86.4 -
2008 64.2 - 82.9 87.4 -
2009 66.4 - 82.8 88.4 -
2010 65.9 - 82.4 87 -
2011 67.3 - 82.3 86.9 -
2012 68 - 82.8 90.8 -
2013 67 - 82.9 90.1 -
2014 66.9 - 80 90 -
2015 67.2 - 80 89.9 -
2016 67.4 - 79.4 88.7 -
2017 65 55.6 79.4 88.5 42.4
2018 65.6 57.8 79.3 88.9 46.8
2019 65.3 54 79.2 88.4 42.5
2020 65.8 54.4 78.9 88.4 39.7
2021 64.2 58.1 79.9 87.7 24.3
2022 65.4 78.4 79.2 86.6 10.9
2023 66.5 63.3 79.5 85.9 17.4
2024 67.7 76.9 78.9 86.9 44.4
2025 68.6 75.7 78.5 88.6 70.8

More economic indicators

Costa Rica Rank
Services, % of GDP
68.8%
2024
31/191
Industry, % of GDP
19.7%
2024
132/194
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
3.56%
2024
121/193
GNI, Atlas method
$80.2B
2024
76/194
GNI per capita, PPP
$27,880
2024
69/191
Total reserves including gold
$14.2B
2024
70/177
Net foreign direct investment
-$4.28B
2024
160/188
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$5.28B
2024
44/193
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$1B
2024
51/187
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
6.31%
2023
35/119
Poverty at national poverty lines
20.3%
2024
94/176
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
15.7%
2024
155/176

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GDP per capita map

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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.