Costa Rica — Health spending
Health Spending (% of GDP) for Costa Rica, 2000–2023.
Health spending for Costa Rica was 6.87% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 24 years, from 2000 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 8.12% in 2011. The lowest was 6.47% in 2001 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.20% per year.
Costa Rica ranks 86 of 189 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 46%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 6.87%, so Costa Rica sits level with it. It peaked in 2011 and has fallen 15% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved down 11%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 16 of 32 economies; Guatemala (6.80%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 8% in 2020. That is 7% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 52nd of 184 in 2000 → 49th of 188 in 2010 → 66th of 189 in 2020 → 85th of 188 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 2000 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6.87% | -0.3 pp |
| 2022 | 7.18% | -0.4 pp |
| 2021 | 7.61% | -0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 7.83% | +0.6 pp |
| 2019 | 7.22% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 7.29% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 7.05% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 7.32% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 7.59% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 7.66% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 7.68% | -0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 7.79% | -0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 8.12% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 8.03% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 7.86% | +0.4 pp |
| 2008 | 7.47% | +0.5 pp |
| 2007 | 7% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 6.94% | +0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 6.66% | +0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 6.63% | -0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 6.97% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 6.87% | +0.4 pp |
| 2001 | 6.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 6.56% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Costa Rica’s Health spending in 2001?
6.47% (2001). 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 % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Costa Rica’s Health spending growing or shrinking?
Between 2000 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +4.6% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. 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: 2023: 6.87%; 2022: 7.18%; 2021: 7.61%; 2020: 7.83%; 2019: 7.22%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS — Health Spending (% of GDP). 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.