General government final consumption expenditure in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: General government final consumption expenditure was 14.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
General government final consumption expenditure in Costa Rica, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 14.0% for general government final consumption expenditure in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government final consumption expenditure in Costa Rica peaked at 18.2% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 10.4%, in 1960.
Costa Rica ranks 119th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
General government final consumption expenditure in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 10.4% | — |
| 1961 | 11.6% | +12.3% |
| 1962 | 11.5% | -1.3% |
| 1963 | 12.1% | +5.7% |
| 1964 | 12.7% | +4.4% |
| 1965 | 12.6% | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 12.5% | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 12.6% | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 12.4% | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 12.5% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 12.6% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 13.9% | +10.4% |
| 1972 | 14.4% | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 13.9% | -3.1% |
| 1974 | 14.3% | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 15.2% | +6.5% |
| 1976 | 16.0% | +5.1% |
| 1977 | 16.0% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 16.8% | +5.0% |
| 1979 | 18.1% | +7.5% |
| 1980 | 18.2% | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 15.7% | -13.6% |
| 1982 | 14.6% | -7.5% |
| 1983 | 15.1% | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 15.6% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 15.8% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 15.4% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 15.0% | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 15.6% | +4.2% |
| 1989 | 17.0% | +8.7% |
| 1990 | 18.2% | +7.0% |
| 1991 | 13.2% | -27.4% |
| 1992 | 12.1% | -8.2% |
| 1993 | 12.8% | +5.5% |
| 1994 | 13.3% | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 12.9% | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 13.1% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 12.6% | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 12.7% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 13.3% | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 13.7% | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 14.3% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 14.7% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 14.5% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 14.0% | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 13.5% | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 13.2% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 12.8% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 13.6% | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 15.7% | +16.0% |
| 2010 | 16.6% | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 17.0% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 16.8% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 17.1% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 17.0% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 17.0% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 16.7% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 16.4% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 16.2% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 16.7% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 17.6% | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 16.4% | -6.9% |
| 2022 | 14.8% | -9.8% |
| 2023 | 14.3% | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 14.1% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 14.0% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.1% | 10.4% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.1% | 12.6% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.8% | 14.6% | 18.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.4% | 12.1% | 18.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.0% | 12.8% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.7% | 16.2% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.2% | 14.0% | 17.6% | 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 general government final consumption expenditure in Costa Rica?
- General government final consumption expenditure in Costa Rica was 14.0% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 18.2% in 1980.
- What is the lowest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.4% in 1960.
- How does Costa Rica rank for general government final consumption expenditure?
- Costa Rica ranks 119th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government final consumption expenditure rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Final consumption expenditure is expenditure on goods and services by resident institutional units for the direct satisfaction of human needs or wants, whether individual or collective. General government FCE includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees), and most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.