Economic Growth in Costa Rica
The Costa Rican economy recorded an average growth rate of 3.1% in the decade to 2022, above the 1.9% average for Central America and Caribbean. In 2022, real GDP growth was 4.6%. For more GDP information, visit our dedicated page.
Costa Rica GDP Chart
Costa Rica GDP Data
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Economic Growth (GDP, ann. var. %) | 2.4 | -4.3 | 7.9 | 4.6 | 5.1 |
GDP (USD bn) | 64.3 | 62.3 | 64.8 | 69.1 | 86.5 |
GDP (CRC bn) | 37,832 | 36,495 | 40,327 | 44,810 | 47,059 |
Economic Growth (Nominal GDP, ann. var. %) | 5.0 | -3.5 | 10.5 | 11.1 | 5.0 |
Economic growth falls in the third quarter
GDP reading: GDP growth waned to 3.7% year on year in the third quarter, from 5.3% in the second quarter. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, economic growth moderated to 0.6% in Q3, from the previous period's 1.2% rise and marking the softest expansion since Q2 2022.
Drivers: The annual deceleration was driven by a slowdown in domestic demand. Household spending increased 2.5% in the third quarter, which was below the second quarter's 4.7% expansion. Moreover, fixed investment growth waned to 1.0% in Q3, compared to 10.3% in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, public consumption remained at Q2’s 0.8% in Q3. On the external front, exports of goods and services growth accelerated to 8.2% year on year in the third quarter, which marked the best reading since Q2 2023 (Q2: +3.3% yoy). Conversely, imports of goods and services growth softened to 4.0% in Q3 (Q2: +6.2% yoy).
GDP outlook: Our Consensus is for GDP to expand at a similar pace to Q3’s in Q4, and to grow less quickly in 2025 relative to 2024 on the heels of a softer rise in fixed investment. Rising U.S. protectionism under a Trump presidency and a deterioration in domestic security are downside risks.
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects Costa Rican GDP projections for the next ten years from a panel of 23 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable GDP forecast available for Costa Rican GDP.
Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our Costa Rican GDP projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of Costa Rican GDP forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.
Latest Global GDP News
-
GDP reading: According to a preliminary estimate, the Slovak economy lost further momentum in the third quarter, expanding 1.2% year...
-
Cyprus: GDP growth improves in Q3
Economy accelerates to a near two-year high: According to a flash release, GDP growth edged up to 3.9% year on... -
United Kingdom: GDP growth undershoots market expectations in the third quarter
GDP reading: GDP growth slowed to 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted quarter on quarter basis in the third quarter, down... -
Philippines: GDP growth declines in Q3 due to extreme weather
GDP growth disappoints markets: Economic activity softened in the third quarter, with GDP expanding 5.2% year on year (Q2: +6.4... -
Indonesia: Economic growth ticks down in Q3 but remains robust
GDP growth surprises markets on the downside: Economic momentum softened in the third quarter, with GDP expanding 4.9% year on... -
Canada: Economy flatlines in August
GDP reading: GDP was flat month-on-month in seasonally adjusted terms in August (July: +0.1% mom), in line with the preliminary... -
Serbia: GDP growth softens in the third quarter
GDP reading: According to a preliminary estimate, economic growth slowed to 3.1% year on year in the third quarter from...