At a glance
Twelve headline indicators, latest available year.
What changed in Costa Rica
Statistically notable movements in the latest data.
- Record high2023MajorMedian age reached a record high of 34.1 years in 2023 (series since 1950).
- Record high2025MajorGDP reached a record high of US$ 102.9B in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Record high2025MajorExports reached a record high of US$ 40.0B in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Record high2025MajorGDP per capita reached a record high of US$ 19,970 in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Record high2024MajorCO₂ emissions reached a record high of 8.8 Mt in 2024 (series since 1870).
- Sharp rise2025MajorTrade balance rose US$ 1.4B to US$ 6.4B in 2025 (largest rise since 2023).
Countries similar to Costa Rica
Nearest peers by standardised distance on the selected dimension.
Country DNA
Percentile rank among all countries on nine dimensions. Descriptive, not a score.
2025
Key facts
Computed from the data — no model-generated numbers.
Trade is worth 71.5 % of GDP (2025), below the world median of 79.8 %.
CO₂ emissions of 1.71 t per person are 0.55× the world median of 3.10 t (2024).
Life expectancy gained 3.7 years since 2000, from 77.3 years to 81.0 years in 2024.
87.2 % of people used the internet in 2024, up from 36.5 % in 2010.
Costa Rica's population grew 30.9 % between 2000 and 2025, from 3.9M people to 5.2M people.
Renewables' share of electricity generation rose from 93.3 % in 2010 to 100.0 % in 2025 (+6.7 points).
Costa Rica ranks 36th of 38 OECD members for GDP per capita (PPP), at intl $ 33,815 in 2025.
Life expectancy of 81.0 years ranks 3rd of 42 in Latin America & Caribbean (2024).
GDP per capita rose from US$ 3,813 in 2000 to US$ 19,970 in 2025 (+423.8 % in current US dollars).
With a median age of 34.1 years, Costa Rica ranks 88th of 216 countries worldwide (2023).
GDP grew 3.7 % a year on average over 2014–2025.
Unemployment of 6.8 % in 2025 is above the Latin America & Caribbean median of 6.0 %.
Within Latin America & Caribbean, Costa Rica ranks 10th of 33 for GDP per capita (PPP) (intl $ 33,815, 2025).
79.7 % of the population lived in urban areas in 2025, compared with 59.0 % in 2000.
The fertility rate fell from 2.41 births/woman in 2000 to 1.32 births/woman in 2024.
Languages: Spanish
Timeline
Records, reversals and turning points across the whole history.
- 2025
- Sharp riseTrade balance rose US$ 1.4B to US$ 6.4B in 2025.
- Sharp riseElectricity consumption per capita rose 15.9 % to 2,486 kWh in 2025.
- Sharp riseOld-age dependency ratio rose 0.8 points to 18.5 % in 2025.
- Sharp riseElectricity generation rose 16.5 % to 12.8 TWh in 2025.
- Sharp riseHydropower electricity generation rose 19.8 % to 9.58 TWh in 2025.
- Sharp riseSeniors (65+) rose 0.5 points to 12.8 % in 2025.
- ReversalInflation, GDP deflator turned negative in 2025 (-0.5 %).
- 2024
- Sharp riseTrade balance rose US$ 875.4M to US$ 5.0B in 2024.
- ReversalInflation turned negative in 2024 (-0.4 %).
- Sharp riseWomen in parliament rose 1.8 points to 49.1 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseEmployment in services (% of total employment) rose 3.2 points to 69.6 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropFDI outflows fell 0.8 points to 0.3 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseOld-age dependency ratio rose 0.7 points to 17.7 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseRefugees hosted rose 35.1 % to 31,632 people in 2024.
- Sharp dropEmployment in industry (% of total employment) fell 1.6 points to 18.6 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseAt least upper secondary attainment (ages 25–64) rose 2.8 points to 48.3 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseTertiary attainment rose 2.5 points to 27.8 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropSchool enrolment, secondary (% gross) fell 3.7 points to 121.8 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseRefugee population by country of origin rose 52.7 % to 316 people in 2024.
- ReversalInflation, GDP deflator turned positive in 2024 (0.5 %).
- Sharp riseSeniors (65+) rose 0.5 points to 12.2 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropYouth unemployment fell 3.8 points to 20.5 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropElectricity consumption per capita fell 6.6 % to 2,144 kWh in 2024.
- Sharp dropElectricity generation fell 6.1 % to 11.0 TWh in 2024.
- Record highLife satisfaction set a new high of 7.27 /10 in 2024, the first since 2012.
- Record lowVulnerable employment (% of total employment) fell to a new low of 23.6 % in 2024, the first since 2011.
- Record lowEmployment in agriculture (% of total employment) fell to a new low of 11.8 % in 2024, the first since 2009.
- Sharp dropAdolescent fertility rate fell 5.4 % to 24.8 per 1,000 in 2024.
- 2023
Explore Costa Rica by topic
19 topics · 261 indicators with data.
- Economy24 with data · 27 indicators
- Government & public finance13 with data · 18 indicators
- Population & demographics23 with data · 23 indicators
- Employment & wages14 with data · 19 indicators
- Income & inequality8 with data · 10 indicators
- Housing1 with data · 12 indicators
- Health23 with data · 23 indicators
- Education16 with data · 16 indicators
- Trade21 with data · 21 indicators
- Energy26 with data · 26 indicators
- Climate15 with data · 16 indicators
- Environment10 with data · 10 indicators
- Infrastructure & transportation8 with data · 10 indicators
- Digital economy & Internet6 with data · 6 indicators
- Innovation, research & technology9 with data · 9 indicators
- Agriculture & natural resources20 with data · 20 indicators
- Tourism5 with data · 5 indicators
- Security & governance6 with data · 15 indicators
- Quality of life13 with data · 14 indicators