Includes Costa Rica real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Albania economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Albania best banks and safest banks are also available.
Basic Information
Government Type: Presidential republic
Capital City: San Jose
GDP & Economic Information
Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data
| Central Bank | Central Bank of Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Currency | Costa Rican colones (CRC) |
| International Reserves |
USD 7.5 billion (2018) International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019 |
| Gross Domestic Product – GDP | USD 59.0 billion (2018, estimate) |
| GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) | Intl$ 88.2 billion (2018, estimate) |
GDP Data
| Real GDP growth |
2007 8.2% 2008 4.7% 2009 -1% 2010 5% 2011 4.3% 2012 4.8% 2013 2.3% 2014 3.5% 2015 3.6% 2016 4.2% 2017* 3.4% 2018* 2.7% *Estimate |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita – current prices | USD 11,744.4 (2018, estimate) |
| GDP per capita – PPP | Intl$ 17,559.1 (2018, estimate) |
| GDP (PPP) – share of world total | 0.07% (2019, estimate) |
| GDP – composition by sector |
agriculture: 4.6% industry: 19.5% services: 68.3% (2018 estimate) |
| Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) | N/A |
| Inflation |
2015 0.8% 2016 0% 2017 1.6% 2018 2.2% 2019 2.7% *Estimate |
Costa Rica
Emerging & Frontier Markets
Latin America: Back on Track
Emerging & Frontier Markets
COSTA RICA: THE FDI SUCCESS STORY
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
ANNUAL SURVEY: WORLD’S BEST BANKS 2014Inflation & Debt
| Inflation |
2015 0.8% 2016 0% 2017 1.6% 2018 2.2% 2019 2.7% *Estimate |
|---|---|
| Government Bond Ratings |
Standard & Poor’s: B+ Moody’s: B1 Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s |
| Unemployment rate |
2015 9.6% 2016 9.5% 2017 9.3% 2018* 12% 2019* 11.5% *Estimate |
| Household saving rates | 4.6% (2016) |
| Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) |
2015 40.9% 2016 44.9% 2017 48.6% 2018* 53.5% 2019* 57.1% *Estimate |
| Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) |
2015 -5.6% 2016 -5.3% 2017 -6.2% 2018* -6% 2019* -6.2% *Estimate |
| Market value of publicly traded shares |
2016 USD 2.9 billion 2017 USD 3.0 billion 2018 N/A |
| Largest Companies | N/A |
Import/Export
| Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) |
33.7% (2018) |
|---|---|
| Shares in world total merchandising export | 0.06% (2018) |
| Shares in world total commercial services export |
0.16% (2018) |
| Total exports | USD 20.6 billion (2018) |
| Export commodities | Bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment |
| Total imports | USD 19.7 billion (2018 estimate) |
| Import commodities | Raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials |
| Exports – major partners | US 40.9%, Belgium 6.3%, Panama 5.6%, Netherlands 5.6%, Nicaragua 5.1%, Guatemala 5%(2017) |
| Imports – major partners | US 38.1%, China 13.1%, Mexico 7.3% (2017) |
Competitiveness & Trade
| Current account balance | USD -1.9 billion (2018 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Current account balance by percentage of GDP | -3.1 % (2018 estimate) |
| FDI inflows |
2016 USD 2,204 million 2017 USD 2,742 million 2018 USD 2,134 million |
| FDI Outflows |
2016 USD 77 million 2017 USD 159 million 2018 USD 58 million |
| Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser |
2015 N/A 2016 N/A 2017 N/A 2018 N/A |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 | N/A |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 | N/A |
| Best countries for doing business |
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. Overall ranking: 74 out of 190 countries Subcategories: Starting a Business: 144 out of 190 countries Dealing with Construction Permits: 78 out of 190 countries Getting Electricity: 25 out of 190 countries Registering Property: 49 out of 190 countries Getting Credit: 15 out of 190 countries Protecting Minority Investors: 110 out of 190 countries Paying Taxes: 66 out of 190 countries Trading across Borders: 80 out of 190 countries Enforcing Contracts: 111 out of 190 countries Resolving Insolvency: 137 out of 190 countries World Bank – Doing Business 2019 |
| Global competitiveness ranking | 62 out of 141 countries (2019) |
| Index of Economic Freedom |
Ranking: 61 / Score: 65.3 (Moderately free) (100=totally free 0=totally repressed) |
Population & Geographic Data
| Total Area |
51,100 sq km |
|---|---|
| Total Population |
1990 3.05 Million 2000 3.81 Million 2010 4.55 Million 2015 4.85 Million 2020 5.14 Million *Estimate |
| Urban population as % of total population |
1960 34.3% 1980 43.1% 2000 59.1% 2018 79.3% |
| Population median age | 31.7 years |
| Population growth rate | 1.13% (2018 estimate) |
| Life expectancy | 78.9 years (2018 estimate) |
| % of population living on less than $3.10 a day | 2.7% (last available estimate, 2017) |
| Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) |
48.3 (last available estimate, 2017) (0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality) |
| Freedom House rating |
Free Political Rights: 1 Civil Liberties: 1 (2019) (1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating) |
| Total telephone subscribers as % of population |
Fixed: 15.5% Mobile: 169.9% (2018) (fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers) |
| Internet users as % of total population | 74.09 % (2018) |
Language & Religon
| Languages | Spanish (official), English |
|---|---|
| Literacy |
Total population: 97.8% Male: 97.7% Female: 97.8% Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 71.8%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 12.3%, other Protestant 2.6%, Jehovah’s Witness 0.5%, other 2.4%, none 10.4% (2016 est.) |
World Rankings
| Population | 5.14 million |
|---|---|
| Mercer Cost of living index | San José: 131st (2019) |
| C02 Emissions per capita | 1.9 metric tons per capita (2018)1.62 metric tons per capita (2014) |
Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Costa Rica
Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.
Data Sources:
IMF World Economic Outlook
UN World Population Prospects
World Inequality Report
S&P Global Ratings
Moody’s
Fitch Ratings
IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
CIA The World Factbook
World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution
Forbes Global 2000