Costa Rica — GDP growth
GDP Growth (Annual %) for Costa Rica, 1961–2025.
GDP growth for Costa Rica was 4.56% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 9.20% in 1992. The lowest was -7.29% in 1982 (about -1.6× the latest value). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 1.39% per year.
Costa Rica ranks 61 of 212 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 29%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 3.38%, so Costa Rica sits above it. It peaked in 1992 and has fallen 50% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 25%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 8 of 40 economies; Grenada (4.41%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 714% in 2010. That is 24% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1961 level: doubled by 1962. Doubling roughly every 50 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 83rd of 107 in 1961 → 36th of 119 in 1970 → 104th of 152 in 1980 → 86th of 176 in 1990 → 117th of 199 in 2000 → 78th of 209 in 2010 → 109th of 209 in 2020 → 54th of 186 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.56% | +0.5 pp |
| 2024 | 4.08% | -0.7 pp |
| 2023 | 4.79% | -0.7 pp |
| 2022 | 5.46% | -2.8 pp |
| 2021 | 8.22% | +12.4 pp |
| 2020 | -4.14% | -6.8 pp |
| 2019 | 2.71% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 2.85% | -1.3 pp |
| 2017 | 4.16% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 4.2% | +0.6 pp |
| 2015 | 3.65% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 3.54% | +1.0 pp |
| 2013 | 2.49% | -2.4 pp |
| 2012 | 4.88% | +0.5 pp |
| 2011 | 4.4% | -1.0 pp |
| 2010 | 5.36% | +6.2 pp |
| 2009 | -0.87% | -5.6 pp |
| 2008 | 4.74% | -3.5 pp |
| 2007 | 8.22% | +0.9 pp |
| 2006 | 7.33% | +3.4 pp |
| 2005 | 3.98% | -0.4 pp |
| 2004 | 4.42% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 4.32% | +0.9 pp |
| 2002 | 3.42% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 3.49% | -0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 3.8% | -0.3 pp |
| 1999 | 4.15% | -2.9 pp |
| 1998 | 7.09% | +1.6 pp |
| 1997 | 5.48% | +4.1 pp |
| 1996 | 1.35% | -2.8 pp |
| 1995 | 4.15% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 4.52% | -2.6 pp |
| 1993 | 7.1% | -2.1 pp |
| 1992 | 9.2% | +6.9 pp |
| 1991 | 2.27% | -1.3 pp |
| 1990 | 3.55% | -2.1 pp |
| 1989 | 5.67% | +2.2 pp |
| 1988 | 3.43% | -1.3 pp |
| 1987 | 4.76% | -0.8 pp |
| 1986 | 5.54% | +4.8 pp |
| 1985 | 0.72% | -7.3 pp |
| 1984 | 8.02% | +5.2 pp |
| 1983 | 2.86% | +10.1 pp |
| 1982 | -7.29% | -5.0 pp |
| 1981 | -2.26% | -3.0 pp |
| 1980 | 0.75% | -4.2 pp |
| 1979 | 4.94% | -1.3 pp |
| 1978 | 6.27% | -2.6 pp |
| 1977 | 8.9% | +3.4 pp |
| 1976 | 5.52% | +3.4 pp |
| 1975 | 2.1% | -3.4 pp |
| 1974 | 5.54% | -2.2 pp |
| 1973 | 7.71% | -0.5 pp |
| 1972 | 8.18% | +1.4 pp |
| 1971 | 6.78% | -0.7 pp |
| 1970 | 7.5% | +2.0 pp |
| 1969 | 5.49% | -3.0 pp |
| 1968 | 8.47% | +2.8 pp |
| 1967 | 5.65% | -1.3 pp |
| 1966 | 6.97% | -1.2 pp |
| 1965 | 8.19% | +4.5 pp |
| 1964 | 3.66% | -3.2 pp |
| 1963 | 6.9% | +1.5 pp |
| 1962 | 5.44% | +3.6 pp |
| 1961 | 1.88% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Costa Rica’s GDP growth in 1962?
5.44% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Costa Rica’s GDP growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +142.7% in total — about 1.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 4.56%; 2024: 4.08%; 2023: 4.79%; 2022: 5.46%; 2021: 8.22%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG — GDP Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.