Annual growth of GDP per capita in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Annual growth of GDP per capita was 4.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Annual growth of GDP per capita in Costa Rica, 1961–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, annual growth of gdp per capita in Costa Rica stood at 4.1%.
That represents a change of up 14.1% on the previous year and up 60.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual growth of gdp per capita in Costa Rica peaked at 7.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, -9.8%, in 1982.
Costa Rica ranks 48th of 212 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual growth of GDP per capita in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -1.8% | — |
| 1962 | 1.6% | -188.8% |
| 1963 | 3.1% | +91.0% |
| 1964 | 0.1% | -96.1% |
| 1965 | 4.6% | +3722.8% |
| 1966 | 3.6% | -22.6% |
| 1967 | 2.4% | -32.0% |
| 1968 | 5.3% | +119.4% |
| 1969 | 2.6% | -51.9% |
| 1970 | 4.6% | +78.9% |
| 1971 | 4.0% | -13.6% |
| 1972 | 5.4% | +36.0% |
| 1973 | 5.0% | -7.6% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | -42.1% |
| 1975 | -0.5% | -116.9% |
| 1976 | 2.8% | -674.7% |
| 1977 | 6.1% | +116.0% |
| 1978 | 3.5% | -42.8% |
| 1979 | 2.1% | -38.3% |
| 1980 | -2.0% | -191.0% |
| 1981 | -4.9% | +150.5% |
| 1982 | -9.8% | +100.3% |
| 1983 | 0.1% | -100.8% |
| 1984 | 5.1% | +6716.7% |
| 1985 | -2.0% | -139.4% |
| 1986 | 2.7% | -235.2% |
| 1987 | 2.0% | -25.2% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | -60.4% |
| 1989 | 3.0% | +277.5% |
| 1990 | 1.0% | -68.1% |
| 1991 | -0.3% | -131.4% |
| 1992 | 6.5% | -2227.1% |
| 1993 | 4.5% | -31.2% |
| 1994 | 2.0% | -55.4% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | -15.5% |
| 1996 | -1.0% | -159.5% |
| 1997 | 3.1% | -412.8% |
| 1998 | 4.8% | +53.6% |
| 1999 | 2.0% | -58.0% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | -10.1% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | -8.6% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | +58.3% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -14.4% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | +134.8% |
| 2007 | 6.8% | +15.9% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | -50.8% |
| 2009 | -2.2% | -165.8% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | -285.5% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | -21.6% |
| 2012 | 3.7% | +15.2% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -62.9% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | +79.0% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 3.2% | +23.4% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -39.4% |
| 2019 | 1.9% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | -4.8% | -359.5% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | -259.7% |
| 2022 | 5.0% | -34.7% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | -14.1% |
| 2024 | 3.6% | -16.6% |
| 2025 | 4.1% | +14.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 4.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.7%, 2.4× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 4.1% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.4%, 1.7× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual growth of GDP per capita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | +6716.7% | 0.1% | 5.1% |
| 1965 | +3722.8% | 0.1% | 4.6% |
| 1992 | +2227.1% | -0.3% | 6.5% |
| 1976 | +674.7% | -0.5% | 2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.4% | -1.8% | 5.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.6% | -0.5% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.5% | -9.8% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | -1.0% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | -2.2% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 1.4% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | -4.8% | 7.7% | 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)
- 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 annual growth of gdp per capita in Costa Rica?
- Annual growth of gdp per capita in Costa Rica was 4.1% 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 annual growth of gdp per capita recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 7.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest annual growth of gdp per capita recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was -9.8% in 1982.
- How does Costa Rica rank for annual growth of gdp per capita?
- Costa Rica ranks 48th out of 212 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual growth of gdp per capita rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.1%. 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 Annual growth of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This data is adjusted for inflation.