External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was 6.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Costa Rica, 1960–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 6.2% for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 19.2% on the previous year and up 914.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 6.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, -15.0%, in 1974.
Costa Rica ranks 30th of 191 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -4.9% | — |
| 1961 | -4.2% | -14.2% |
| 1962 | -3.3% | -20.7% |
| 1963 | -5.0% | +51.5% |
| 1964 | -4.1% | -17.7% |
| 1965 | -10.6% | +156.1% |
| 1966 | -6.0% | -43.6% |
| 1967 | -6.3% | +5.8% |
| 1968 | -4.7% | -26.0% |
| 1969 | -5.4% | +14.2% |
| 1970 | -6.7% | +25.9% |
| 1971 | -10.3% | +52.9% |
| 1972 | -6.4% | -38.1% |
| 1973 | -6.1% | -4.8% |
| 1974 | -15.0% | +146.6% |
| 1975 | -8.5% | -43.3% |
| 1976 | -6.0% | -29.3% |
| 1977 | -5.5% | -8.9% |
| 1978 | -7.9% | +43.6% |
| 1979 | -10.3% | +30.8% |
| 1980 | -10.3% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | -4.9% | -52.5% |
| 1982 | 2.9% | -159.5% |
| 1983 | -0.7% | -125.5% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | -155.0% |
| 1985 | -1.8% | -527.1% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | -148.2% |
| 1987 | -4.1% | -588.8% |
| 1988 | -1.8% | -56.8% |
| 1989 | -3.9% | +117.2% |
| 1990 | -6.9% | +77.9% |
| 1991 | -4.6% | -33.0% |
| 1992 | -5.5% | +19.6% |
| 1993 | -7.3% | +31.5% |
| 1994 | -6.2% | -14.4% |
| 1995 | -3.5% | -43.5% |
| 1996 | -4.0% | +14.7% |
| 1997 | -4.4% | +9.0% |
| 1998 | -4.1% | -6.4% |
| 1999 | -2.4% | -41.1% |
| 2000 | -0.7% | -72.6% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | -124.7% |
| 2002 | -2.0% | -1295.3% |
| 2003 | -2.0% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | -0.8% | -57.6% |
| 2005 | -2.3% | +172.7% |
| 2006 | -3.2% | +38.9% |
| 2007 | -5.3% | +66.1% |
| 2008 | -8.8% | +66.1% |
| 2009 | -0.5% | -94.4% |
| 2010 | -1.9% | +274.6% |
| 2011 | -3.7% | +99.3% |
| 2012 | -3.7% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | -2.9% | -23.0% |
| 2014 | -2.5% | -14.5% |
| 2015 | -0.8% | -69.1% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | -144.8% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | +32.7% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | +17.0% |
| 2019 | 2.9% | +442.0% |
| 2020 | 3.6% | +26.9% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | -57.4% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | +36.6% |
| 2023 | 4.8% | +123.7% |
| 2024 | 5.2% | +9.5% |
| 2025 | 6.2% | +19.2% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 6.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.2%, 2.8× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 6.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is -2.1%. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | -1295.3% | 0.2% | -2.0% |
| 1987 | -588.8% | 0.8% | -4.1% |
| 1985 | -527.1% | 0.4% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | +442.0% | 0.5% | 2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -5.5% | -10.6% | -3.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | -8.3% | -15.0% | -5.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | -2.3% | -10.3% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | -4.9% | -7.3% | -2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.5% | -8.8% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.1% | -3.7% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 1.6% | 6.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 27 South Sudan 7.8% compare
- 28 Zambia 7.4% compare
- 29 Azerbaijan 6.2% compare
- 31 Viet Nam 6.2% compare
- 32 Kazakhstan 6.0% compare
- 33 Czechia 5.9% compare
More economy & growth data for Costa Rica
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.74 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.3 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 466.29 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0045 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 90.49 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 5.59 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 3.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0543 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,084 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 20.52 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Costa Rica?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Costa Rica was 6.2% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was -15.0% in 1974.
- How does Costa Rica rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Costa Rica ranks 30th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 914.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.