Subnational government expenditure in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Subnational government expenditure was 38.24 Percentage of GDP in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
38.24 Percentage of GDP
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
31st
of 36 countries
All-time high
40 Percentage of GDP
in 2023
All-time low
29.03 Percentage of GDP
in 2012
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Subnational government expenditure in Costa Rica, 2000–2024

0102030402000201220242000: 34.5 Percentage of GDP2001: 34.9 Percentage of GDP2002: 35.4 Percentage of GDP2003: 34.1 Percentage of GDP2004: 33.1 Percentage of GDP2005: 32.8 Percentage of GDP2006: 30.9 Percentage of GDP2007: 31 Percentage of GDP2008: 35.5 Percentage of GDP2009: 35.4 Percentage of GDP2010: 39.2 Percentage of GDP2011: 38.9 Percentage of GDP2012: 29 Percentage of GDP2013: 30.1 Percentage of GDP2014: 29.9 Percentage of GDP2015: 30.2 Percentage of GDP2016: 30.5 Percentage of GDP2017: 30.8 Percentage of GDP2018: 30.9 Percentage of GDP2019: 31.6 Percentage of GDP2020: 34.2 Percentage of GDP2021: 31.4 Percentage of GDP2022: 29.1 Percentage of GDP2023: 40 Percentage of GDP2024: 38.2 Percentage of GDP

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of GDP.

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 38.24 Percentage of GDP for subnational government expenditure in 2024.

The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and up 27.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, subnational government expenditure in Costa Rica peaked at 40 Percentage of GDP in 2023 and was at its lowest, 29.03 Percentage of GDP, in 2012.

That places Costa Rica 31st out of 36 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Subnational government expenditure in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Subnational government expenditure in Costa Rica, 2000 to 2024.
Year Percentage of GDP Change
2000 34.47 Percentage of GDP
2001 34.88 Percentage of GDP +1.2%
2002 35.37 Percentage of GDP +1.4%
2003 34.1 Percentage of GDP -3.6%
2004 33.12 Percentage of GDP -2.9%
2005 32.78 Percentage of GDP -1.0%
2006 30.87 Percentage of GDP -5.8%
2007 31 Percentage of GDP +0.4%
2008 35.51 Percentage of GDP +14.5%
2009 35.35 Percentage of GDP -0.4%
2010 39.23 Percentage of GDP +11.0%
2011 38.87 Percentage of GDP -0.9%
2012 29.03 Percentage of GDP -25.3%
2013 30.09 Percentage of GDP +3.6%
2014 29.92 Percentage of GDP -0.6%
2015 30.16 Percentage of GDP +0.8%
2016 30.47 Percentage of GDP +1.0%
2017 30.84 Percentage of GDP +1.2%
2018 30.92 Percentage of GDP +0.3%
2019 31.57 Percentage of GDP +2.1%
2020 34.18 Percentage of GDP +8.3%
2021 31.36 Percentage of GDP -8.2%
2022 29.13 Percentage of GDP -7.1%
2023 40 Percentage of GDP +37.3%
2024 38.24 Percentage of GDP -4.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 33.75 Percentage of GDP 30.87 Percentage of GDP 35.51 Percentage of GDP 10
2010s 32.11 Percentage of GDP 29.03 Percentage of GDP 39.23 Percentage of GDP 10
2020s 34.58 Percentage of GDP 29.13 Percentage of GDP 40 Percentage of GDP 5

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 28 Lithuania 39.42 Percentage of GDP compare
  2. 29 Australia 39.28 Percentage of GDP compare
  3. 30 Japan 38.73 Percentage of GDP compare
  4. 32 Colombia 35.71 Percentage of GDP compare
  5. 33 Switzerland 32.47 Percentage of GDP compare
  6. 34 Mexico 29.19 Percentage of GDP compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More public sector data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is subnational government expenditure in Costa Rica?
Subnational government expenditure in Costa Rica was 38.24 Percentage of GDP in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest subnational government expenditure recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 40 Percentage of GDP in 2023.
What is the lowest subnational government expenditure recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 29.03 Percentage of GDP in 2012.
How does Costa Rica rank for subnational government expenditure?
Costa Rica ranks 31st out of 36 countries with data for 2024.
Is subnational government expenditure rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Subnational government expenditure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Subnational government expenditure in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/subnational-government-expenditure/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Subnational government expenditure
Unit
Percentage of GDP
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
42 places, 1,036 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

This dataset includes subnational government expenditure expressed in several units of measures: USD PPP, USD PPP per capita, percentage of GDP, and percentage of total public expenditure. The Subnational Government Structure and Finance Dashboard compiles several datasets with comparable data on institutional organisation and public finance at subnational government level. It provides data for the time period 2000 - 2024 (based on data availability), for all 38 OECD member countries, and the average for the European Union. It includes data for the subnational government sector, for both state and local government levels for some federal countries. The data for the latest year available is also available in PDF format and via an Interactive dashboard.