Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP was 0.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Costa Rica, 1976–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Costa Rica is 0.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 30.0% on the previous year and down 38.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 1.9% in 2012 and was at its lowest, -0.0%, in 1976.
Costa Rica ranks 79th of 189 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | -0.0% | — |
| 1977 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1978 | 0.0% | — |
| 1979 | 0.0% | -40.0% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | +241.7% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +39.1% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | -28.9% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | +86.4% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | -37.9% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | +12.6% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | -32.1% |
| 1987 | 0.1% | +21.9% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | -80.4% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | +485.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0% | -67.8% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | +111.1% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -33.9% |
| 1993 | 0.0% | -53.1% |
| 1994 | 0.0% | +86.3% |
| 1995 | 0.0% | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 0.0% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 0.0% | -7.6% |
| 1998 | 0.0% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 0.0% | -23.0% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | +1937.8% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | -40.1% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | +86.4% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | +10.5% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | +25.8% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | -32.7% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | +29.1% |
| 2007 | 1.6% | +65.8% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -60.1% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | +39.8% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | +12.3% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | +99.7% |
| 2013 | 1.6% | -16.6% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | -48.3% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | -10.1% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +14.2% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | -46.2% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | +105.9% |
| 2019 | 0.0% | -96.0% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | +1879.9% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | -6.8% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | +106.8% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | -19.9% |
| 2024 | 0.3% | -69.1% |
| 2025 | 0.5% | +30.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.0% | 4 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.4% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.0% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.3% | 1.4% | 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)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 7.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 195.61 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita 3.91 million current LCU per person (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 8.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3216 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 6,423 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 6.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1625 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Costa Rica?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in Costa Rica was 0.5% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 2012.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.0% in 1976.
- How does Costa Rica rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- Costa Rica ranks 79th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Net outflows of foreign direct investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world.