External debt as a share of gross national income in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: External debt as a share of gross national income was 48.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
External debt as a share of gross national income in Costa Rica, 2000–2023
Source: World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 48.5% for external debt as a share of gross national income in 2023.
The figure is down 19.4% on the previous year and up 38.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt as a share of gross national income in Costa Rica peaked at 60.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 22.4%, in 2010.
Costa Rica ranks 50th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
External debt as a share of gross national income in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 32.8% | — |
| 2001 | 32.1% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 32.1% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 34.3% | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 32.0% | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 33.6% | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 31.7% | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 32.1% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 29.3% | -8.9% |
| 2009 | 26.1% | -10.8% |
| 2010 | 22.4% | -14.3% |
| 2011 | 24.9% | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 31.3% | +25.8% |
| 2013 | 34.9% | +11.6% |
| 2014 | 39.5% | +13.3% |
| 2015 | 43.7% | +10.4% |
| 2016 | 45.4% | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 44.7% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 48.0% | +7.6% |
| 2019 | 49.2% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 52.5% | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 55.4% | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 60.2% | +8.6% |
| 2023 | 48.5% | -19.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.6% | 26.1% | 34.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.4% | 22.4% | 49.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.1% | 48.5% | 60.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 47 Bosnia and Herzegovina 49.2% compare
- 48 Cote d'Ivoire 48.8% compare
- 49 Burkina Faso 48.8% compare
- 51 Tanzania 47.3% compare
- 52 Burundi 47.1% compare
- 53 Ghana 46.9% 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)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 6.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6922 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per capita 13,824 current US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), annual growth rate 4.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 348.53 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), per capita 6.96 million current LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5269 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt as a share of gross national income in Costa Rica?
- External debt as a share of gross national income in Costa Rica was 48.5% in 2023, according to World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest external debt as a share of gross national income recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 60.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest external debt as a share of gross national income recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.4% in 2010.
- How does Costa Rica rank for external debt as a share of gross national income?
- Costa Rica ranks 50th out of 121 countries with data for 2023.
- Is external debt as a share of gross national income rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of External debt as a share of gross national income. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
External debt stocks as a proportion of GNI (%).