Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was 383.56 million BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Costa Rica, 1976–2025
Source: Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D. Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Costa Rica stood at 383.56 million BoP, current US$.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.7% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Costa Rica peaked at 1.00 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, -1.00 million BoP, current US$, in 1976.
Costa Rica ranks 67th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | -1.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1977 | 0 BoP, current US$ | -100.0% |
| 1978 | 1.60 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1979 | 1.10 million BoP, current US$ | -31.2% |
| 1980 | 4.50 million BoP, current US$ | +309.1% |
| 1981 | 3.40 million BoP, current US$ | -24.4% |
| 1982 | 2.40 million BoP, current US$ | -29.4% |
| 1983 | 5.40 million BoP, current US$ | +125.0% |
| 1984 | 3.90 million BoP, current US$ | -27.8% |
| 1985 | 4.70 million BoP, current US$ | +20.5% |
| 1986 | 3.60 million BoP, current US$ | -23.4% |
| 1987 | 4.50 million BoP, current US$ | +25.0% |
| 1988 | 900,000 BoP, current US$ | -80.0% |
| 1989 | 6.00 million BoP, current US$ | +566.7% |
| 1990 | 2.10 million BoP, current US$ | -65.0% |
| 1991 | 5.60 million BoP, current US$ | +166.7% |
| 1992 | 4.40 million BoP, current US$ | -21.4% |
| 1993 | 2.30 million BoP, current US$ | -47.7% |
| 1994 | 4.70 million BoP, current US$ | +104.3% |
| 1995 | 5.50 million BoP, current US$ | +17.0% |
| 1996 | 5.69 million BoP, current US$ | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 5.68 million BoP, current US$ | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 6.24 million BoP, current US$ | +9.9% |
| 1999 | 5.00 million BoP, current US$ | -19.8% |
| 2000 | 107.39 million BoP, current US$ | +2046.3% |
| 2001 | 68.42 million BoP, current US$ | -36.3% |
| 2002 | 132.34 million BoP, current US$ | +93.4% |
| 2003 | 152.29 million BoP, current US$ | +15.1% |
| 2004 | 206.46 million BoP, current US$ | +35.6% |
| 2005 | 149.60 million BoP, current US$ | -27.5% |
| 2006 | 218.94 million BoP, current US$ | +46.4% |
| 2007 | 429.62 million BoP, current US$ | +96.2% |
| 2008 | 196.61 million BoP, current US$ | -54.2% |
| 2009 | 274.30 million BoP, current US$ | +39.5% |
| 2010 | 317.71 million BoP, current US$ | +15.8% |
| 2011 | 405.05 million BoP, current US$ | +27.5% |
| 2012 | 893.56 million BoP, current US$ | +120.6% |
| 2013 | 803.93 million BoP, current US$ | -10.0% |
| 2014 | 424.41 million BoP, current US$ | -47.2% |
| 2015 | 414.21 million BoP, current US$ | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 493.40 million BoP, current US$ | +19.1% |
| 2017 | 272.81 million BoP, current US$ | -44.7% |
| 2018 | 580.75 million BoP, current US$ | +112.9% |
| 2019 | 23.89 million BoP, current US$ | -95.9% |
| 2020 | 458.74 million BoP, current US$ | +1820.3% |
| 2021 | 446.62 million BoP, current US$ | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 1.00 billion BoP, current US$ | +123.9% |
| 2023 | 986.87 million BoP, current US$ | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 337.22 million BoP, current US$ | -65.8% |
| 2025 | 383.56 million BoP, current US$ | +13.7% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 383.56 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.46 billion BoP, current US$, 26% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 383.56 million BoP, current US$ is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 31.93 million BoP, current US$, 12.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +2046.3% | 5.00 million BoP, current US$ | 107.39 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2020 | +1820.3% | 23.89 million BoP, current US$ | 458.74 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1989 | +566.7% | 900,000 BoP, current US$ | 6.00 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 425,000 BoP, current US$ | -1.00 million BoP, current US$ | 1.60 million BoP, current US$ | 4 |
| 1980s | 3.93 million BoP, current US$ | 900,000 BoP, current US$ | 6.00 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.72 million BoP, current US$ | 2.10 million BoP, current US$ | 6.24 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 193.60 million BoP, current US$ | 68.42 million BoP, current US$ | 429.62 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 462.97 million BoP, current US$ | 23.89 million BoP, current US$ | 893.56 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 602.17 million BoP, current US$ | 337.22 million BoP, current US$ | 1.00 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 64 Kosovo 415.06 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 64 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 415.06 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 66 North Macedonia 400.07 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 68 Bahamas 372.75 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 69 Belarus 371.08 million BoP, current US$ compare
- 70 Democratic Republic of Congo 364.66 million BoP, current US$ 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0058 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 115.71 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.5968 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0042 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 84.49 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate -3.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0204 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Costa Rica?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Costa Rica was 383.56 million BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 1.00 billion BoP, current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.00 million BoP, current US$ in 1976.
- How does Costa Rica rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Costa Rica ranks 67th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in an economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. This series shows net outflows of investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.