General government total expenditure (current LCU) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: General government total expenditure (current LCU) was 9.29 trillion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
9.29 trillion current LCU
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
34th
of 197 countries
All-time high
12.27 trillion current LCU
in 2023
All-time low
0 current LCU
in 1980
Years of data
46
1980–2025
General government total expenditure in Costa Rica, 1980–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for general government total expenditure in Costa Rica is 9.29 trillion current LCU, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government total expenditure in Costa Rica peaked at 12.27 trillion current LCU in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 current LCU, in 1980.
That places Costa Rica 34th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
General government total expenditure (current LCU) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0 current LCU | — |
| 1981 | 0 current LCU | — |
| 1982 | 0 current LCU | — |
| 1983 | 26.04 billion current LCU | — |
| 1984 | 31.98 billion current LCU | +22.8% |
| 1985 | 35.95 billion current LCU | +12.4% |
| 1986 | 46.27 billion current LCU | +28.7% |
| 1987 | 76.43 billion current LCU | +65.2% |
| 1988 | 98.35 billion current LCU | +28.7% |
| 1989 | 128.61 billion current LCU | +30.8% |
| 1990 | 153.81 billion current LCU | +19.6% |
| 1991 | 190.99 billion current LCU | +24.2% |
| 1992 | 244.15 billion current LCU | +27.8% |
| 1993 | 294.30 billion current LCU | +20.5% |
| 1994 | 416.47 billion current LCU | +41.5% |
| 1995 | 493.75 billion current LCU | +18.6% |
| 1996 | 613.50 billion current LCU | +24.3% |
| 1997 | 696.79 billion current LCU | +13.6% |
| 1998 | 823.96 billion current LCU | +18.3% |
| 1999 | 1.00 trillion current LCU | +21.6% |
| 2000 | 1.15 trillion current LCU | +14.5% |
| 2001 | 1.33 trillion current LCU | +15.5% |
| 2002 | 1.60 trillion current LCU | +20.5% |
| 2003 | 1.75 trillion current LCU | +9.8% |
| 2004 | 1.95 trillion current LCU | +11.2% |
| 2005 | 2.23 trillion current LCU | +14.2% |
| 2006 | 2.60 trillion current LCU | +16.6% |
| 2007 | 3.06 trillion current LCU | +17.9% |
| 2008 | 3.81 trillion current LCU | +24.3% |
| 2009 | 4.53 trillion current LCU | +18.9% |
| 2010 | 5.68 trillion current LCU | +25.6% |
| 2011 | 6.00 trillion current LCU | +5.5% |
| 2012 | 6.65 trillion current LCU | +11.0% |
| 2013 | 7.46 trillion current LCU | +12.1% |
| 2014 | 8.09 trillion current LCU | +8.5% |
| 2015 | 8.87 trillion current LCU | +9.6% |
| 2016 | 9.43 trillion current LCU | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 8.05 trillion current LCU | -14.6% |
| 2018 | 9.35 trillion current LCU | +16.1% |
| 2019 | 7.82 trillion current LCU | -16.3% |
| 2020 | 8.04 trillion current LCU | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 8.08 trillion current LCU | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 11.52 trillion current LCU | +42.5% |
| 2023 | 12.27 trillion current LCU | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 9.27 trillion current LCU | -24.4% |
| 2025 | 9.29 trillion current LCU | +0.2% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 9.29 trillion current LCU is above the median for high income countries, which is 134.14 billion current LCU, 69.2× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 9.29 trillion current LCU is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 62.55 billion current LCU, 148.5× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 44.36 billion current LCU | 0 current LCU | 128.61 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 492.97 billion current LCU | 153.81 billion current LCU | 1.00 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.40 trillion current LCU | 1.15 trillion current LCU | 4.53 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.74 trillion current LCU | 5.68 trillion current LCU | 9.43 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.74 trillion current LCU | 8.04 trillion current LCU | 12.27 trillion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 31 Cote d'Ivoire 11.75 trillion current LCU compare
- 32 United States 11.57 trillion current LCU compare
- 33 Mexico 10.30 trillion current LCU compare
- 35 Malawi 7.35 trillion current LCU compare
- 36 Sudan 6.83 trillion current LCU compare
- 37 Philippines 6.79 trillion current LCU compare
More population data for Costa Rica
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.2884 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6681 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Population density 73.96 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 123,827 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government total expenditure in Costa Rica?
- General government total expenditure in Costa Rica was 9.29 trillion current LCU in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest general government total expenditure recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 12.27 trillion current LCU in 2023.
- What is the lowest general government total expenditure recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 current LCU in 1980.
- How does Costa Rica rank for general government total expenditure?
- Costa Rica ranks 34th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government total expenditure rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. 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 General government total expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release