Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP was 16.81 in 2030. ▲ Rising

Latest (2030)
16.81
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
177th
of 195 countries
All-time high
22.29
in 2020
All-time low
13.75
in 1992
Years of data
40
1991–2030

Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP in Costa Rica, 1991–2030

051015201991201020301991: 141992: 13.71993: 13.81994: 17.41995: 16.41996: 17.31997: 16.31998: 161999: 16.72000: 16.92001: 17.32002: 18.62003: 17.62004: 172005: 15.92006: 15.22007: 14.62008: 15.22009: 16.72010: 182011: 17.22012: 17.32013: 18.52014: 18.42015: 18.82016: 18.82017: 19.22018: 18.92019: 21.72020: 22.32021: 20.82022: 19.22023: 18.52024: 18.92025: 17.92026: 17.72027: 17.42028: 17.22029: 172030: 16.8

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

In 2030, expenditure, general government, percent of gdp in Costa Rica stood at 16.81.

The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 24.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expenditure, general government, percent of gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 22.29 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 13.75, in 1992.

That places Costa Rica 177th out of 195 countries with data for 2030, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.

Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP in Costa Rica, 1991 to 2030.
Year Value Change
1991 14
1992 13.75 -1.9%
1993 13.82 +0.5%
1994 17.42 +26.1%
1995 16.4 -5.9%
1996 17.29 +5.4%
1997 16.26 -6.0%
1998 16.03 -1.4%
1999 16.71 +4.3%
2000 16.87 +0.9%
2001 17.28 +2.4%
2002 18.55 +7.4%
2003 17.57 -5.3%
2004 17.01 -3.2%
2005 15.89 -6.6%
2006 15.15 -4.6%
2007 14.6 -3.7%
2008 15.18 +4.0%
2009 16.66 +9.7%
2010 18.04 +8.3%
2011 17.18 -4.8%
2012 17.34 +1.0%
2013 18.52 +6.8%
2014 18.4 -0.6%
2015 18.76 +2.0%
2016 18.76 -0.0%
2017 19.16 +2.1%
2018 18.9 -1.4%
2019 21.69 +14.8%
2020 22.29 +2.8%
2021 20.77 -6.8%
2022 19.19 -7.6%
2023 18.51 -3.5%
2024 18.87 +1.9%
2025 17.93 -5.0%
2026 17.74 -1.1%
2027 17.43 -1.7%
2028 17.22 -1.2%
2029 16.98 -1.4%
2030 16.81 -1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 15.74 13.75 17.42 9
2000s 16.47 14.6 18.55 10
2010s 18.67 17.18 21.69 10
2020s 18.69 16.98 22.29 10
2030s 16.81 16.81 16.81 1

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 174 Dominican Republic 17.43 compare
  2. 175 Madagascar 17.18 compare
  3. 176 Indonesia 16.99 compare
  4. 178 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 16.74 compare
  5. 179 Cameroon 16.48 compare
  6. 180 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 16.48 compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More public sector data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is expenditure, general government, percent of gdp in Costa Rica?
Expenditure, general government, percent of gdp in Costa Rica was 16.81 in 2030, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest expenditure, general government, percent of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 22.29 in 2020.
What is the lowest expenditure, general government, percent of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 13.75 in 1992.
How does Costa Rica rank for expenditure, general government, percent of gdp?
Costa Rica ranks 177th out of 195 countries with data for 2030.
Is expenditure, general government, percent of gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-general-government-percent-of-gdp/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
213 places, 7,647 data points, 1991–2030
Last refreshed

Fiscal Monitor (FM) 2025 October