Main UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) website
English

General profile: Costa Rica

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR 2024
Exchange rate
Population
Population
Exchange rates
GDP
GDP
5.130 Millions
515.110 CRC/US$
95 240 Millions current US$
Land area¹
Land area
CPI growth (%)
CPI growth
GDP growth
GDP growth
(u) 51 060 km²
..
4.20 %
INTERNATIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE
More data on UNCTADstat
+14.0 %
Merchandise exports growth rate in 2024
Total merchandise trade
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Merchandise exports
7 026
9 448
9 422
21 688
Merchandise imports
9 824
13 570
16 273
26 484
Merchandise trade balance
-2 798
-4 122
-6 852
-4 796
Export structure by product group in 2024
(as % of total exports)
3 %3 %62 %62 %35 %35 %
Top 5 partners in 2024
(exports, millions of US$)
9 8791 7661 0531 0287819 8791 7661 0531 028781
INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES
More data on UNCTADstat
Total trade in services²
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Services exports
3 197
5 022
7 694
16 114
Services imports
1 512
1 889
3 085
7 293
Services trade balance
1 685
3 132
4 609
8 820
Services exports by main category²
(as % of total services)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Transport
8.8
8.1
6.4
3.1
Travel
58.5
44.7
42.5
33.8
Other services
19.9
37.4
48.1
57.8
TRADE INDICES
More data on UNCTADstat
189164139151127122119119115100111112111101999391100931009888971019999101103100939192929494868992
ECONOMIC TRENDS
More data on UNCTADstat
+4.2 %
Gross domestic product growth rate in 2024
Economic indicators
(millions of US$ unless otherwise specified)
2005
2010
2015
2024
GDP, current
20 045
37 659
56 442
95 240
GDP per capita, current US$
4 704
8 266
11 715
18 566
Real GDP growth, y-on-y, %
3.98
5.36
3.65
4.20
Current account balance, % of GDP
-4.29
-3.22
-3.40
-1.36
Exchange rate (/US$)
477.787
525.829
534.566
515.110
GDP by expenditure in 2023
(as % of total GDP)
65.414.915.437.333.065.414.915.437.333.0
FDI AND EXTERNAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES
More data on UNCTADstat
0 %
FDI outflows as % of GDP in 2024
Financial flows
(millions of US$ unless otherwise specified)
2005
2010
2015
2024
FDI inflows
1 364.13
1 683.55
2 751.88
4 321.59
FDI outflows
-15.06
94.34
210.57
46.55
Personal remittances, % of GDP
2.10
1.41
0.98
0.76
Financial flows trends
(millions of US$)
724.8662.1620.3594.1524.8553.4533.5560.4545.4552.0593.9596.4562.3520.2530.7513.1604.8617.9513.2420.3319.5320.9250.6198.4136.04 3223 7883 1643 2311 7632 8122 4872 7782 2042 7522 9272 7412 2582 4611 6841 4442 3202 0881 7021 364976692825609667FDI Inwards flowsFDI Inwards flowsFDI Inwards flowsMigrant's remittances receiptsMigrant's remittances receiptsMigrant's remittances receipts
TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
More data on UNCTADstat
Trade balance indicators²
(as % and index)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Balance, % of GDP
-1.80
-1.10
0.00
6.63
Balance, % of imports
-3.95
-3.21
0.01
20.72
Normalized balance
-0.020
-0.016
0.000
0.094
Trade openness²
(sum of imports and exports as % of GDP)
7172827160676763626165646769687087879089
LIVING AREA
Population by living area in 2024
(% of population)
Urban 83%Urban 83%Rural 17%Rural 17%
OTHER INDICATORS
More data on UNCTADstat
0 %
Share of the total world merchant fleet in 2024
Maritime transport indicators
 
2005
2010
2015
2024
Merchant fleet, national flag (thousands of DWT)
1
0
2
3
Container port throughput (TEU)
..
1 013 483
1 343 841
..
Information economy indicators
(as % of)
2005
2010
2015
2024
Share of ICT goods, % of total exports
23.62
19.80
1.69
1.01
Share of ICT goods, % of total imports
23.61
17.61
9.01
6.81
Share of workforce involved in the ICT sector
..
(n) 3.46
(n) 3.72
..
Source: UNCTADstat (http://unctadstat.unctad.org)
Notes:
1
Land area refers to the total area of a country excluding area under inland water bodies. It differs from the country area, that includes area under inland water bodies, but excludes offshore territorial waters.
2
Statistics presented correspond to the 6th edition of the IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6, 2009).
n
Data exclude C262, C264 and C268.
u
Estimated. Data refers to 2020.
Symbols for missing values:
0
Zero means that the amount is nil or negligible
..
No value reported or collected
_
Not applicable
...
Not available, including no quotation
#
Non-relevant calculation
-
Not publishable
***
Negative accumulation of flows; Value included in regional and global totals
Abbreviations & acronyms:
DWT:
Dead weight tons
FDI:
Foreign direct investment
GDP:
Gross domestic product
ICT:
Information and communication technology
TEU:
Twenty foot equivalent unit
US$:
United States dollar
Disclaimer:
The designations employed and the presentation of the material on UNCTADstat do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Where the designations "economy" or "country or area" appear in texts or tables, they cover regions, countries, territories, cities or areas.

UNCTAD strives for the highest level of accuracy and is committed to promptly correcting any errors on its part. It does not guarantee or make any express or implied representations regarding the accuracy, reliability, correctness, fitness for use for a particular purpose, or otherwise, whatsoever, of any of the tables in UNCTADstat.
Generation date: 02 December 2025