Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP in Costa Rica, 1977–2025
Source: World Bank staff estimates based on IMF and OECD data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 0.8% for money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp in 2025.
The figure is up 10.7% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 2.3% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1977.
That places Costa Rica 132nd out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 0.1% | — |
| 1978 | 0.1% | +26.4% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | -18.7% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | +26.8% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +7.8% |
| 1982 | 0.2% | +134.9% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | -21.6% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | +5.1% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | -5.2% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.2% | +13.2% |
| 1989 | 0.2% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | +10.3% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | -11.6% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | -10.9% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 0.2% | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | +553.3% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | +5.2% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -7.9% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | -9.2% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 1.2% | +37.1% |
| 2002 | 1.5% | +21.7% |
| 2003 | 1.9% | +22.9% |
| 2004 | 1.7% | -7.6% |
| 2005 | 2.1% | +22.2% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | +7.7% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 2.0% | -14.6% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | -15.0% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -15.6% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -13.7% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | -14.3% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | +8.4% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | -13.4% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | +10.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.2% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 129 Antigua and Barbuda 0.9% compare
- 130 Poland 0.9% compare
- 131 Mauritania 0.9% compare
- 133 Palau 0.8% compare
- 134 Sweden 0.8% compare
- 135 Trinidad and Tobago 0.8% compare
More population data for Costa Rica
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6681 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.9965 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 123,827 people (2100)
- Population density 73.96 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7399 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5224 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp in Costa Rica?
- Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp in Costa Rica was 0.8% in 2025, according to World Bank staff estimates based on IMF and OECD data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 2.3% in 2007.
- What is the lowest money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1977.
- How does Costa Rica rank for money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp?
- Costa Rica ranks 132nd out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank staff estimates based on IMF and OECD data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Money sent or brought back by migrants as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Money sent or brought back by migrants refers to remittances a country has received in this year.