Costa Rica vs Viet Nam: Government spending as share of GDP

Costa Rica
18.9%
in 2024
Viet Nam
19.1%
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
131st
Viet Nam rank
129th

Government spending as share of GDP over time

  • Costa Rica
  • Viet Nam
0102030195619902024

How they compare

Viet Nam currently reports 19.1% against 18.9% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.2%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 27 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Viet Nam ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 131st and Viet Nam ranks 129th of 151 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 1 and Viet Nam in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Costa Rica Viet Nam Difference Ahead
1990s 14.5% 16.4% 1.8% Viet Nam
2000s 16.5% 20.8% 4.3% Viet Nam
2010s 18.7% 22.4% 3.7% Viet Nam
2020s 19.9% 19.5% 0.4% Costa Rica

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government spending as share of gdp, Costa Rica or Viet Nam?
Viet Nam, at 19.1% against 18.9% in Costa Rica as of 2024.
What is the difference in government spending as share of gdp between Costa Rica and Viet Nam?
0.2%, with Viet Nam ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Viet Nam?
27 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2024.
How do Costa Rica and Viet Nam rank globally for government spending as share of gdp?
Costa Rica ranks 131st and Viet Nam ranks 129th of 151 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Costa Rica vs Viet Nam: Government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/historical-gov-spending-gdp/costa-rica/viet-nam/

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending as share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
151 places, 9,265 data points, 1800–2024
Last refreshed

Sum of all the money spent by the government on goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. It includes interest paid on government debt.