Government spending vs. GDP, per unit of GDP in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Government spending vs. GDP, per unit of GDP was 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
102nd
of 166 countries
All-time high
3.43 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 1963
All-time low
0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 2025
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Government spending vs. GDP, per unit of GDP in Costa Rica, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, government spending vs. gdp, per unit of gdp in Costa Rica stood at 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 34.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending vs. gdp, per unit of gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 3.43 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP, in 2025.
That places Costa Rica 102nd out of 166 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government spending vs. GDP, per unit of GDP in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.27 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | — |
| 1961 | 2.76 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +21.7% |
| 1962 | 3.07 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +11.2% |
| 1963 | 3.43 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +11.7% |
| 1964 | 3.12 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.2% |
| 1965 | 3.27 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +4.8% |
| 1966 | 3.13 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -4.2% |
| 1967 | 2.95 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.7% |
| 1968 | 2.72 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -8.0% |
| 1969 | 2.61 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 2.53 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -3.1% |
| 1971 | 2.59 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 2.41 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.9% |
| 1973 | 2.07 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -14.1% |
| 1974 | 2.06 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 1.85 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -10.2% |
| 1976 | 1.62 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -12.4% |
| 1977 | 1.38 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -14.6% |
| 1978 | 1.25 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.6% |
| 1979 | 1.18 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.0% |
| 1980 | 0.9964 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -15.3% |
| 1981 | 1.73 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +73.8% |
| 1982 | 1.7 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -1.9% |
| 1983 | 1.37 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -19.6% |
| 1984 | 1.22 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -10.7% |
| 1985 | 1.15 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.6% |
| 1986 | 1.05 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.2% |
| 1987 | 1.04 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 1.05 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 0.9587 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.0% |
| 1990 | 0.899 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.2% |
| 1991 | 0.7052 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -21.6% |
| 1992 | 0.6124 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -13.2% |
| 1993 | 0.5792 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.4% |
| 1994 | 0.5389 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 0.4863 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.8% |
| 1996 | 0.4862 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.4686 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -3.6% |
| 1998 | 0.4404 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.0% |
| 1999 | 0.4307 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 0.418 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 0.4101 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 0.4037 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 0.3949 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 0.3705 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.2% |
| 2005 | 0.3478 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 0.3167 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.0% |
| 2007 | 0.2742 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -13.4% |
| 2008 | 0.2519 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -8.1% |
| 2009 | 0.268 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 0.2283 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -14.8% |
| 2011 | 0.2032 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -11.0% |
| 2012 | 0.186 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 0.1783 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 0.1797 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 0.1696 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 0.1665 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 0.1651 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 0.1606 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 0.1643 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 0.1708 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | +4.0% |
| 2021 | 0.1663 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 0.1556 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.4% |
| 2023 | 0.1256 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -19.3% |
| 2024 | 0.1146 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -8.7% |
| 2025 | 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | -3.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.1423 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP, 78% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.1136 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP, 98% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending vs. GDP, per unit of GDP 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +73.8% | 0.9964 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 1.73 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.93 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 2.27 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 3.43 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.89 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 1.18 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 2.59 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.23 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.9587 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 1.73 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5647 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.4307 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.899 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3456 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.2519 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.418 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1802 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.1606 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.2283 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1406 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.1708 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 99 Estonia 0.1161 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 100 Georgia 0.114 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 101 Senegal 0.1139 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 103 Honduras 0.1102 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 104 Turkey 0.1093 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 105 Kenya 0.1089 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP 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)
- 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$), annual growth rate 20.52 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending vs. gdp, per unit of gdp in Costa Rica?
- Government spending vs. gdp, per unit of gdp in Costa Rica was 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest government spending vs. gdp, per unit of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 3.43 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP in 1963.
- What is the lowest government spending vs. gdp, per unit of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1108 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2025.
- How does Costa Rica rank for government spending vs. gdp, per unit of gdp?
- Costa Rica ranks 102nd out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government spending vs. gdp, per unit of gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Government spending vs. GDP, per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Government spending vs. GDP divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Government spending vs. GDP ÷ GDP (current US$)
Computed from
- Government spending vs. GDP National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
- GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Government spending vs. GDP divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.