Tourism contribution to GDP in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Tourism contribution to GDP was 2.7% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Tourism contribution to GDP in Costa Rica, 2012–2021
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 2.7% for tourism contribution to gdp in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 45.5% on the previous year and down 38.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tourism contribution to gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 5.0% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2020.
That places Costa Rica 51st out of 100 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Tourism contribution to GDP in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 4.4% | — |
| 2013 | 4.7% | +6.3% |
| 2014 | 4.6% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 4.7% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 5.0% | +6.0% |
| 2017 | 4.8% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 4.7% | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 4.8% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | -61.2% |
| 2021 | 2.7% | +45.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.7% | 4.4% | 5.0% | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.7% | 2 |
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)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 11,944 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 5.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9379 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 18,730 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 2.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 472.24 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 9.43 million current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tourism contribution to gdp in Costa Rica?
- Tourism contribution to gdp in Costa Rica was 2.7% in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tourism contribution to gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 5.0% in 2016.
- What is the lowest tourism contribution to gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for tourism contribution to gdp?
- Costa Rica ranks 51st out of 100 countries with data for 2021.
- Is tourism contribution to gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Tourism contribution to GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of a country's GDP that comes directly from tourism, including spending by visitors and the industries that serve them.