Central government spending as share of GDP in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Central government spending as share of GDP was 28.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Central government spending as share of GDP in Costa Rica, 1973–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, central government spending as share of gdp in Costa Rica stood at 28.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, central government spending as share of gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 31.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 15.1%, in 1974.
Costa Rica ranks 64th of 157 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Central government spending as share of GDP in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 15.5% | — |
| 1974 | 15.1% | -3.1% |
| 1975 | 16.3% | +8.3% |
| 1976 | 16.3% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 16.1% | -1.3% |
| 1978 | 20.5% | +27.2% |
| 1979 | 21.3% | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 21.6% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 18.1% | -16.2% |
| 1982 | 16.6% | -8.1% |
| 1983 | 21.0% | +26.2% |
| 1984 | 20.0% | -4.5% |
| 1985 | 19.5% | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 24.3% | +24.3% |
| 1987 | 25.6% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 23.2% | -9.2% |
| 1989 | 24.4% | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 24.2% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 18.4% | -24.0% |
| 1992 | 17.8% | -3.5% |
| 1993 | 19.4% | +8.9% |
| 1994 | 23.0% | +18.8% |
| 1995 | 21.5% | -6.3% |
| 1996 | 22.5% | +4.4% |
| 1997 | 21.4% | -4.9% |
| 1998 | 21.1% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 22.1% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 22.0% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 22.8% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 24.6% | +8.1% |
| 2003 | 23.6% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 22.5% | -4.6% |
| 2005 | 22.6% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 21.6% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 21.2% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 21.7% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 24.7% | +14.2% |
| 2010 | 25.6% | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 25.4% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 25.9% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 26.5% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 26.7% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 28.6% | +6.8% |
| 2016 | 27.1% | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 25.4% | -6.4% |
| 2018 | 28.9% | +13.6% |
| 2019 | 29.3% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 31.7% | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 30.5% | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 28.0% | -8.1% |
| 2023 | 28.6% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.3% | 15.1% | 21.3% | 7 |
| 1980s | 21.4% | 16.6% | 25.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.1% | 17.8% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.7% | 21.2% | 24.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.9% | 25.4% | 29.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.7% | 28.0% | 31.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 61 Mauritius 29.1% compare
- 62 Solomon Islands 28.9% compare
- 63 Barbados 28.8% compare
- 65 Belarus 28.5% compare
- 66 Republic of Korea 28.3% compare
- 67 El Salvador 27.9% 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)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 6.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9247 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 18,466 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 4.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 465.57 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 9.30 million current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 4.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.7254 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is central government spending as share of gdp in Costa Rica?
- Central government spending as share of gdp in Costa Rica was 28.6% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest central government spending as share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 31.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest central government spending as share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.1% in 1974.
- How does Costa Rica rank for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Costa Rica ranks 64th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
- Is central government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Central government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Central government expense (cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services), as share of GDP. It excludes capital investment, such as infrastructure or equipment.