GDP growth in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: GDP growth was 4.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4.3%
Change on year
down 15.5%
World rank
59th
of 212 countries
All-time high
9.2%
in 1992
All-time low
-7.3%
in 1982
Years of data
55
1970–2024
GDP growth in Costa Rica, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gdp growth in Costa Rica is 4.3%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 15.5% on the previous year and up 22.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp growth in Costa Rica peaked at 9.2% in 1992 and was at its lowest, -7.3%, in 1982.
That places Costa Rica 59th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
GDP growth in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 7.5% | — |
| 1971 | 6.8% | -9.7% |
| 1972 | 8.2% | +20.6% |
| 1973 | 7.7% | -5.7% |
| 1974 | 5.5% | -28.1% |
| 1975 | 2.1% | -62.1% |
| 1976 | 5.5% | +162.7% |
| 1977 | 8.9% | +61.4% |
| 1978 | 6.3% | -29.6% |
| 1979 | 4.9% | -21.2% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | -84.8% |
| 1981 | -2.3% | -400.8% |
| 1982 | -7.3% | +222.1% |
| 1983 | 2.9% | -139.3% |
| 1984 | 8.0% | +180.3% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | -91.0% |
| 1986 | 5.5% | +667.2% |
| 1987 | 4.8% | -13.9% |
| 1988 | 3.4% | -28.0% |
| 1989 | 5.7% | +65.1% |
| 1990 | 3.6% | -37.3% |
| 1991 | 2.3% | -36.2% |
| 1992 | 9.2% | +306.1% |
| 1993 | 7.1% | -22.9% |
| 1994 | 4.5% | -36.3% |
| 1995 | 4.2% | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -67.5% |
| 1997 | 5.5% | +305.5% |
| 1998 | 7.2% | +30.7% |
| 1999 | 4.2% | -41.1% |
| 2000 | 3.9% | -8.2% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -9.8% |
| 2002 | 3.4% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | +26.3% |
| 2004 | 4.4% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 4.0% | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 7.3% | +84.2% |
| 2007 | 8.2% | +12.1% |
| 2008 | 4.7% | -42.3% |
| 2009 | -0.9% | -118.4% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | -713.7% |
| 2011 | 4.4% | -17.9% |
| 2012 | 4.9% | +10.9% |
| 2013 | 2.5% | -48.9% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | +42.0% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | +15.1% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 2.6% | -37.1% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -7.6% |
| 2020 | -4.3% | -276.8% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | -285.7% |
| 2022 | 4.6% | -42.6% |
| 2023 | 5.1% | +12.3% |
| 2024 | 4.3% | -15.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.3% | 2.1% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | -7.3% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.9% | 1.4% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.3% | -0.9% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.4% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.5% | -4.3% | 7.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 56 Cayman Islands 4.4% compare
- 57 Russian Federation 4.3% compare
- 58 Antigua and Barbuda 4.3% compare
- 60 Aruba 4.3% compare
- 61 Lao People's Democratic Republic 4.3% compare
- 62 Paraguay 4.2% compare
More population data for Costa Rica
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,703 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5224 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7399 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1 (2100)
- Population density 73.96 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 123,827 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -1 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.5224 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -0.9023 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 31,632 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp growth in Costa Rica?
- Gdp growth in Costa Rica was 4.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gdp growth recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 9.2% in 1992.
- What is the lowest gdp growth recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was -7.3% in 1982.
- How does Costa Rica rank for gdp growth?
- Costa Rica ranks 59th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gdp growth rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of GDP growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release