Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 5.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Costa Rica, 1970–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 5.4% for foreign direct investment, net inflows in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Costa Rica peaked at 8.3% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1979.
Costa Rica ranks 42nd of 200 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.7% | — |
| 1971 | 2.1% | -23.3% |
| 1972 | 2.1% | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | +18.1% |
| 1974 | 2.8% | +12.7% |
| 1975 | 3.5% | +26.7% |
| 1976 | 2.6% | -27.0% |
| 1977 | 2.0% | -20.8% |
| 1978 | 1.4% | -32.2% |
| 1979 | 1.1% | -21.9% |
| 1980 | 1.1% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 2.7% | +143.7% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | -58.2% |
| 1983 | 1.9% | +74.0% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | -20.8% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | +16.8% |
| 1986 | 1.4% | -22.6% |
| 1987 | 1.8% | +28.3% |
| 1988 | 2.6% | +49.5% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | -27.1% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | +47.5% |
| 1991 | 2.5% | -13.1% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 2.6% | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | +10.0% |
| 1995 | 2.9% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 3.7% | +25.6% |
| 1997 | 3.2% | -11.2% |
| 1998 | 4.5% | +38.4% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 4.8% | +10.9% |
| 2001 | 3.9% | -19.2% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | +12.1% |
| 2003 | 4.5% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 5.8% | +29.9% |
| 2005 | 7.6% | +31.0% |
| 2006 | 7.9% | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 8.3% | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 7.9% | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 5.3% | -33.6% |
| 2010 | 5.1% | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 6.4% | +26.2% |
| 2012 | 5.7% | -10.7% |
| 2013 | 6.3% | +10.2% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 5.2% | -16.0% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | -15.0% |
| 2017 | 4.8% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 4.8% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | -12.8% |
| 2020 | 3.3% | -20.3% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | +63.6% |
| 2022 | 7.3% | +34.0% |
| 2023 | 6.1% | -17.5% |
| 2024 | 5.6% | -7.7% |
| 2025 | 5.4% | -2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.3% | 1.1% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.8% | 1.1% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.5% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.0% | 3.9% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 4.2% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 3.3% | 7.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
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 foreign direct investment, net inflows in Costa Rica?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Costa Rica was 5.4% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 8.3% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1979.
- How does Costa Rica rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Costa Rica ranks 42nd out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Foreign direct investment is the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.