Trade as a share of GDP in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Trade as a share of GDP was 71.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
71.5%
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
115th
of 191 countries
All-time high
92.0%
in 1998
All-time low
45.9%
in 1961
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Trade as a share of GDP in Costa Rica, 1960–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 71.5% for trade as a share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade as a share of gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 92.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 45.9%, in 1961.
Costa Rica ranks 115th of 191 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.
Trade as a share of GDP in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 47.3% | — |
| 1961 | 45.9% | -2.8% |
| 1962 | 48.8% | +6.2% |
| 1963 | 49.2% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 53.0% | +7.7% |
| 1965 | 55.8% | +5.2% |
| 1966 | 55.6% | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 56.1% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 60.2% | +7.3% |
| 1969 | 58.5% | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 62.4% | +6.6% |
| 1971 | 63.9% | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 66.8% | +4.6% |
| 1973 | 67.7% | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 81.3% | +20.1% |
| 1975 | 68.6% | -15.6% |
| 1976 | 63.8% | -7.0% |
| 1977 | 67.2% | +5.3% |
| 1978 | 64.2% | -4.5% |
| 1979 | 64.1% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 63.3% | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 91.4% | +44.5% |
| 1982 | 87.2% | -4.6% |
| 1983 | 72.8% | -16.5% |
| 1984 | 68.4% | -6.1% |
| 1985 | 63.2% | -7.5% |
| 1986 | 61.8% | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 67.4% | +9.0% |
| 1988 | 69.8% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 73.6% | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 75.3% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 71.4% | -5.1% |
| 1992 | 76.1% | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 79.4% | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 78.0% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 79.8% | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 84.1% | +5.4% |
| 1997 | 87.6% | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 92.0% | +5.1% |
| 1999 | 87.5% | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 86.5% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 80.9% | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 80.4% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 83.3% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 85.3% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 89.2% | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 89.8% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 86.5% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 86.4% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 69.8% | -19.3% |
| 2010 | 67.5% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 68.6% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 67.0% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 64.1% | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 65.2% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 60.8% | -6.8% |
| 2016 | 62.2% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 65.1% | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 66.8% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 65.4% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 59.7% | -8.7% |
| 2021 | 70.1% | +17.3% |
| 2022 | 79.1% | +12.8% |
| 2023 | 71.4% | -9.6% |
| 2024 | 69.9% | -2.2% |
| 2025 | 71.5% | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.0% | 45.9% | 60.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 67.0% | 62.4% | 81.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.9% | 61.8% | 91.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 81.1% | 71.4% | 92.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 83.8% | 69.8% | 89.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.3% | 60.8% | 68.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.3% | 59.7% | 79.1% | 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)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 8.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.1693 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 3,381 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 8.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 112.02 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 2.24 million constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 6.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6922 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade as a share of gdp in Costa Rica?
- Trade as a share of gdp in Costa Rica was 71.5% 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 trade as a share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 92.0% in 1998.
- What is the lowest trade as a share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.9% in 1961.
- How does Costa Rica rank for trade as a share of gdp?
- Costa Rica ranks 115th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade as a share of gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Trade as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Trade in goods and services as a share of GDP, shown as a percentage.