Taxes on income, profits and capital gains in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Taxes on income, profits and capital gains was 32.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Taxes on income, profits and capital gains in Costa Rica, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of total taxes.
Analysis
In 2024, taxes on income, profits and capital gains in Costa Rica stood at 32.5%.
The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and up 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, taxes on income, profits and capital gains in Costa Rica peaked at 34.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 1992.
That places Costa Rica 96th out of 153 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Taxes on income, profits and capital gains in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of total taxes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 23.4% | — |
| 1973 | 23.6% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 21.7% | -8.3% |
| 1975 | 21.1% | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 23.4% | +11.2% |
| 1977 | 23.1% | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 23.8% | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 22.9% | -4.0% |
| 1980 | 21.0% | -8.2% |
| 1981 | 21.1% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 23.9% | +13.4% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 20.1% | -16.9% |
| 1985 | 19.8% | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 18.1% | -8.3% |
| 1987 | 16.1% | -11.1% |
| 1988 | 15.6% | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 16.4% | +5.2% |
| 1990 | 17.3% | +5.3% |
| 1991 | 15.6% | -10.0% |
| 1992 | 13.8% | -11.6% |
| 1993 | 16.4% | +19.2% |
| 1994 | 18.2% | +11.0% |
| 1995 | 18.5% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 17.6% | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 17.9% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 19.6% | +9.6% |
| 1999 | 24.7% | +25.7% |
| 2000 | 22.4% | -9.2% |
| 2001 | 23.2% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 24.9% | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 24.6% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 24.8% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 24.5% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 25.8% | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 27.9% | +8.4% |
| 2009 | 29.6% | +6.0% |
| 2010 | 29.2% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 27.5% | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 26.9% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 27.5% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 27.7% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 28.4% | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 29.1% | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 30.7% | +5.3% |
| 2018 | 32.0% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 33.0% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 33.0% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 33.0% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 34.0% | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 34.6% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 32.5% | -5.9% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 32.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 43.9%, 74% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 32.5% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.0%, 90% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.9% | 21.1% | 23.8% | 8 |
| 1980s | 19.6% | 15.6% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.0% | 13.8% | 24.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.1% | 22.4% | 29.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.2% | 26.9% | 33.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.4% | 32.5% | 34.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More public sector data for Costa Rica
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is taxes on income, profits and capital gains in Costa Rica?
- Taxes on income, profits and capital gains in Costa Rica was 32.5% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest taxes on income, profits and capital gains recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 34.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest taxes on income, profits and capital gains recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 1992.
- How does Costa Rica rank for taxes on income, profits and capital gains?
- Costa Rica ranks 96th out of 153 countries with data for 2024.
- Is taxes on income, profits and capital gains rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Taxes on income, profits and capital gains (% of total taxes). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Taxes on income, profits, and capital gains are taxes payable on the actual or presumed incomes, profits and capital gains. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of total taxes which includes all compulsory, unrequited payments, in cash or in kind, made by institutional units to government units.