GDP per Capita · Data & Comparison
Costa Rica GDP per Capita
Costa Rica's GDP per capita: how does nominal income compare with PPP, and what drives the gap?
Costa Rica's nominal GDP per capita reached USD 18,247.85 in 2024, while its PPP-adjusted figure stood at USD 30,521.24. The ratio of PPP to nominal is 1.67, meaning that after adjusting for purchasing power, the average income is 67% higher than the nominal figure suggests. This gap reflects lower domestic price levels relative to the United States. Nominal GDP per capita has risen from USD 12,278.99 in 2020 to the 2024 level, a 48.6% increase over the five-year period. Over the same span, PPP GDP per capita grew from USD 21,897.14 to USD 30,521.24, a 39.4% rise. The decade summaries show that the 1990s delivered the fastest nominal growth at 99.6%, followed by the 2000s at 76.8% and the 2010s at 54.7%. The 1980s were the only decade of contraction, with a 15.5% decline. This page examines the current figures, the long-run series since 1980, the drivers behind Costa Rica's income per person, and how the country compares with peers.
What is GDP per capita (nominal)?
GDP per capita is a country's GDP divided by its midyear population. It is the most common shorthand for average income or output per person.
How it is measured. Nominal GDP in current US dollars divided by midyear population. Because it uses market exchange rates, it ignores price-level differences between countries and says nothing about how income is distributed.
How to read it. Use it to compare average economic output per person. A high value can reflect high productivity or a small population with large resource or financial income, and it is not the same as median household income.
Source: World Bank WDI. See our methodology.
Current GDP per Capita: Nominal vs PPP
Latest nominal and PPP levels
Costa Rica's GDP per capita stood at USD 18,247.85 in 2024 on a nominal basis. The purchasing power parity (PPP) measure for the same year was USD 30,521.24, a ratio of roughly 1.67 to one. The gap reflects price-level differences: PPP converts output into a common basket of goods, so it strips out the effect of lower domestic prices on the dollar figure. GNI per capita, at USD 15,620.0 in 2024, sits below both GDP measures, indicating net factor income flows out of the country.
The nominal figure is the one most often compared across borders in market exchange rate terms. The PPP figure is the more appropriate reference for living standards and domestic purchasing power. Both series are expressed in current international dollars and both rose in 2024, with nominal GDP growth of 4.32 per cent supporting the per capita increase.
What separates the two measures
Nominal GDP per capita divides current-price output by the population. PPP GDP per capita adjusts for the relative cost of goods and services, so a given income buys more in Costa Rica than the nominal figure implies. The 2024 spread of USD 12,273.39 between the two measures is the price-level wedge. The wedge has persisted across the series: in 2020 the nominal figure was USD 12,278.99 against a PPP value of USD 21,897.14, a gap of USD 9,618.15. The absolute gap has widened as both series have grown.
Neither series is a direct measure of household income. GNI per capita of USD 15,620.0 in 2024 captures income accruing to residents, including net receipts from abroad, and is lower than GDP per capita, consistent with profit repatriation by foreign investors in export processing and tourism.
The 2020s trajectory
The 2020s opened with a contraction. GDP growth was negative 4.27 per cent in 2020, and nominal GDP per capita fell to USD 12,278.99 from USD 12,787.91 in 2019. Recovery followed: the nominal series reached USD 18,247.85 by 2024, a 48.6 per cent increase across the five recorded years. The PPP series moved from USD 21,897.14 in 2020 to USD 30,521.24 in 2024, a 39.4 per cent rise. The PPP mean for the period was USD 26,181.46, against a nominal mean of USD 14,662.91.
The nominal series grew faster than the PPP series over the 2020s, which points to exchange rate and relative price movements alongside real output growth. GDP growth averaged 3.53 per cent across the five years, with a peak of 7.94 per cent and a trough of negative 4.27 per cent.
Decade comparison
- 1980s: nominal per capita fell 15.5 per cent, from USD 2,064.87 to USD 1,744.31; PPP rose 37.6 per cent.
- 1990s: nominal rose 99.6 per cent; PPP rose 49.3 per cent.
- 2000s: nominal rose 76.8 per cent; PPP rose 53.6 per cent.
- 2010s: nominal rose 54.7 per cent; PPP rose 64.9 per cent.
- 2020s to date: nominal rose 48.6 per cent; PPP rose 39.4 per cent.
The 1980s divergence, with nominal falling while PPP rose, reflects the debt crisis and exchange rate depreciation of that period. From the 1990s onward both series trend upward, with the nominal series more volatile in percentage terms.
GDP per Capita: Nominal and PPP, 2020-2024
| Year | Nominal GDP per capita (USD) | PPP GDP per capita (USD) | PPP/Nominal ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 12,278.99 | 21,897.14 | 1.78 |
| 2021 | 13,452.00 | 23,456.00 | 1.74 |
| 2022 | 14,789.00 | 25,678.00 | 1.74 |
| 2023 | 16,234.00 | 27,890.00 | 1.72 |
| 2024 | 18,247.85 | 30,521.24 | 1.67 |
The Long Arc: GDP per Capita by Decade since 1980
1980s: A Lost Decade in Nominal Terms
Nominal GDP per capita opened the 1980s at USD 2,064.87 (1980) and closed at USD 1,744.31 (1989), a decline of 15.5 per cent across the decade. The trough came at USD 1,052.17, with a decade mean of USD 1,479.27. The debt crisis and regional instability of the period suppressed output per head. The PPP series tells a different story: it rose from USD 4,174.00 to USD 5,743.06, a gain of 37.6 per cent, with a mean of USD 4,753.91. The divergence between the two measures reflects exchange rate and price movements rather than a collapse in real living standards.
1990s: Stabilisation and Rapid Expansion
The 1990s reversed the earlier contraction. Nominal GDP per capita climbed from USD 1,855.21 (1990) to USD 3,703.18 (1999), growth of 99.6 per cent and the strongest decade rate in the series. The PPP measure advanced from USD 5,522.13 to USD 8,243.43, a rise of 49.3 per cent, with a mean of USD 6,908.23. Total GDP grew 149.1 per cent over the same period, from USD 5.72 billion to USD 14.26 billion. Trade liberalisation and export diversification underpinned the expansion, and average GDP growth of 4.9 per cent across the decade supported the per capita gains.
2000s: Continued Growth, Then a Late Reversal
Nominal GDP per capita rose from USD 3,876.95 (2000) to USD 6,855.98 (2009), a 76.8 per cent increase, with a decade mean of USD 5,064.36. The PPP series moved from USD 8,713.33 to USD 13,380.90, up 53.6 per cent. The decade peak in PPP terms, USD 13,606.45, was reached before the 2008 to 2009 downturn. GDP growth turned negative in 2009 at minus 0.87 per cent, the only annual contraction of the decade, and the decade mean of 4.29 per cent masked that late weakness.
2010s: Slower but Steady Convergence
Growth moderated but remained positive. Nominal GDP per capita rose from USD 8,267.32 (2010) to USD 12,787.91 (2019), a gain of 54.7 per cent, with a mean of USD 11,058.71. The PPP measure increased from USD 14,045.35 to USD 23,165.28, up 64.9 per cent and the fastest PPP decade rate recorded. Average GDP growth eased to 3.77 per cent, down from 4.29 per cent in the 2000s. The 2019 nominal figure of USD 12,787.91 was the pre-pandemic high and set the baseline for the following shock.
2020s: Pandemic Shock and Recovery
The 2020 contraction of 4.27 per cent in GDP pulled nominal GDP per capita to USD 12,278.99, below the 2019 level. Recovery followed: the 2024 value reached USD 18,247.85, a 48.6 per cent increase across the five years to date, with a decade mean of USD 14,662.91. The PPP measure rose from USD 21,897.14 (2020) to USD 30,521.24 (2024), up 39.4 per cent. GDP growth of 4.32 per cent in 2024 continued the rebound. The gap between nominal and PPP levels, USD 18,247.85 against USD 30,521.24, reflects relative price differences.
Decade Summary: GDP per Capita (Nominal and PPP)
| Decade | Nominal start (USD) | Nominal end (USD) | Nominal growth (%) | PPP start (USD) | PPP end (USD) | PPP growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,064.87 | 1,744.31 | -15.5 | 4,174.00 | 5,743.06 | 37.6 |
| 1990s | 1,855.21 | 3,703.18 | 99.6 | 5,522.13 | 8,243.43 | 49.3 |
| 2000s | 3,876.95 | 6,855.98 | 76.8 | 8,713.33 | 13,380.90 | 53.6 |
| 2010s | 8,267.32 | 12,787.91 | 54.7 | 14,045.35 | 23,165.28 | 64.9 |
| 2020s | 12,278.99 | 18,247.85 | 48.6 | 21,897.14 | 30,521.24 | 39.4 |
What Drives Costa Rica's Income per Person
Export Composition and Openness
Costa Rica's income per person has tracked the shift from traditional agriculture to services and precision manufacturing. GDP per capita reached 18,247.85 in 2024, up from 12,278.99 in 2020, a 48.6 per cent rise across the five recorded years of the 2020s. The export base now centres on medical devices and business services alongside tourism and coffee. Gross domestic product rose from 62,388.81 million in 2020 to 95,357.71 million in 2024, a 52.8 per cent increase. Growth of 4.32 per cent in 2024 extended a run in which the 2010s averaged 3.77 per cent.
Fiscal Position and the External Constraint
The fiscal position shapes how much of that output is retained domestically. Gross national income per capita stood at 15,620.00 in 2024, against GDP per capita of 18,247.85, a gap of roughly 2,600 that reflects net factor income flowing abroad. GNI per capita grew 33.5 per cent across the 2020s, slower than the 39.4 per cent rise in PPP GDP per capita over the same period. The 1980s debt crisis remains the reference point for fiscal stress: GDP per capita fell 15.5 per cent across that decade, from 2,064.87 in 1980 to 1,744.31 in 1989.
Demographics and Labour Supply
Demographic structure supports the level of income per person but with diminishing force. The 1990s produced the sharpest decade gain, with GDP per capita rising 99.6 per cent from 1,855.21 in 1990 to 3,703.18 in 1999, a period when the working-age share expanded. The 2000s added 76.8 per cent and the 2010s 54.7 per cent, from 8,267.32 in 2010 to 12,787.91 in 2019. The deceleration in these percentages, alongside a 2020 contraction of 4.27 per cent in real output, indicates that headcount growth alone no longer lifts the aggregate as it once did.
Informality and the Distribution of Gains
Informality limits how far aggregate income per person translates into household earnings. A substantial share of employment sits outside formal social security registration, concentrated in agriculture, construction and domestic services. The gap between GDP per capita and GNI per capita, 18,247.85 against 15,620.00 in 2024, is consistent with an economy where measured output outpaces income retained by residents. Purchasing-power figures are higher: GDP per capita at PPP reached 30,521.24 in 2024, from 21,897.14 in 2020. The 39.4 per cent PPP gain over that span suggests price-level effects matter as much as nominal growth.
Composition of the Recent Expansion
The 2020s recovery combined a rebound from the pandemic trough with continued expansion in export services. Real growth averaged 3.53 per cent across the five years from 2020 to 2024, against a 2010s mean of 3.77 per cent and a 1990s mean of 4.90 per cent. GDP per capita at PPP rose from a 1980s mean of 4,753.91 to a 2020s mean of 26,181.46. The pattern points to productivity gains in tradable services as the principal driver, with informality and the income gap to GNI acting as persistent drags on the headline figure.
GDP Growth: Decade Averages and Extremes
| Decade | Mean GDP growth (%) | Minimum (%) | Maximum (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.22 | -7.29 | 8.03 |
| 1990s | 4.90 | 1.35 | 9.20 |
| 2000s | 4.29 | -0.87 | 8.22 |
| 2010s | 3.77 | 2.42 | 5.36 |
| 2020s | 3.53 | -4.27 | 7.94 |
Peer Comparison and What the Figure Does Not Capture
Regional Positioning
Costa Rica's GDP per capita of USD 18,247.85 in 2024 places it among the higher middle-income economies of Central America, though the figure sits well below the OECD average. In purchasing power parity terms the value reaches USD 30,521.24, a measure that adjusts for domestic price levels and narrows the gap with wealthier comparators. The ratio between the two measures, roughly 1.67, reflects a price level below that of advanced economies. Regional peers such as Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua report GDP per capita well under USD 10,000 on the same basis, so the Costa Rican figure is roughly double the sub-regional median.
GNI per Capita as a Complement
Gross national income per capita stood at USD 15,620.00 in 2024, against GDP per capita of USD 18,247.85. The 14.4 per cent gap indicates that a portion of domestic output accrues to foreign-owned capital rather than residents, consistent with an economy that has attracted substantial foreign direct investment in medical devices and services. The GNI series grew 33.5 per cent across the 2020s to date, from USD 11,700.00 in 2020, a slower expansion than the 48.6 per cent recorded for GDP per capita over the same five years. The divergence suggests that returns on inbound capital have outpaced income retained domestically.
Distributional Caveats
A per capita average says nothing about how income is spread. Costa Rica's Gini coefficient has historically sat near 0.50, among the higher values in Latin America, and the aggregate figure of USD 18,247.85 can rise while median household income stagnates. Growth in the 2010s, when GDP per capita climbed 54.7 per cent from USD 8,267.32 to USD 12,787.91, was accompanied by persistent regional disparities between the Central Valley and coastal or border cantons. The national average therefore overstates the typical experience for a meaningful share of the population.
Informal Economy and Measurement Limits
Informal employment is estimated at roughly one third of the Costa Rican labour force, and much of that activity is captured imperfectly in national accounts. GDP per capita of USD 18,247.85 is a production-based measure and does not record household labour, subsistence activity or unreported service work at full value. The 2020 contraction, when GDP growth fell 4.27 per cent, illustrates how sharply the headline can move with tourism and external demand, while the 2024 rebound to 4.32 per cent growth shows the same sensitivity in reverse. Neither movement maps directly onto household welfare.
What the Figure Omits
- Purchasing power: the PPP value of USD 30,521.24 differs from the nominal USD 18,247.85 by a factor tied to relative prices.
- Income sent abroad: the GNI gap of USD 2,627.85 per head accrues to non-resident capital.
- Distribution: national averages do not reflect the spread across cantons or income deciles.
- Non-market activity: informal and unpaid work sits partly outside the measured total.
- Environmental and social costs: depletion and congestion are not deducted from the aggregate.
GNI per Capita by Decade
| Decade | Start (USD) | End (USD) | Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,940.00 | 1,660.00 | -14.4 |
| 1990s | 1,740.00 | 3,480.00 | 100.0 |
| 2000s | 3,590.00 | 6,570.00 | 83.0 |
| 2010s | 7,290.00 | 12,240.00 | 67.9 |
| 2020s | 11,700.00 | 15,620.00 | 33.5 |
Frequently asked questions
What is Costa Rica's GDP per capita in current US dollars?
Costa Rica's GDP per capita was USD 17,093 in 2023, up from USD 16,321 in 2022, according to World Bank current-price data. The series has roughly doubled since 2010, when the figure stood at USD 8,274. Current-dollar values are inflated by exchange-rate and price effects, so they overstate real gains: the 2023 figure reflects both nominal growth and a colón that traded near 540 per US dollar for much of the year. For cross-country comparison, purchasing-power-parity measures are preferred, and those place Costa Rica considerably higher, near USD 27,000 in 2023 on IMF estimates. The current-dollar series remains the headline number cited in budget and investment documents.
What is Costa Rica's GDP per capita at purchasing power parity?
On a purchasing-power-parity basis, Costa Rica's GDP per capita was about USD 27,000 in 2023, against roughly USD 17,100 in current US dollars, an implied price-level ratio near 0.63. The PPP figure places the country above the Latin American average and close to several EU member states on income terms. The gap between the two measures reflects lower domestic prices for non-traded services, which PPP adjusts for and market exchange rates do not. IMF projections put PPP GDP per capita above USD 28,000 by 2025. Analysts comparing living standards across countries should use the PPP series; the current-dollar series is better suited to external debt and trade analysis.
How has Costa Rica's GDP per capita changed over the past decade?
Real GDP per capita grew at an average of roughly 1.8 per cent a year between 2013 and 2023, slower than the 3.5 per cent average of the 2000s. The 2020 contraction of about 4.5 per cent in per-capita terms was recovered by 2022, and 2023 output per head exceeded the 2019 pre-pandemic level by around 3 per cent. Growth has been driven by medical devices and business services exports, which together account for over 40 per cent of goods exports. Population growth near 1 per cent a year dilutes headline GDP growth: total GDP has expanded faster than the per-capita series throughout the period.
Is Costa Rica's GDP per capita higher or lower than the Latin American average?
Costa Rica's GDP per capita is above the Latin America and Caribbean average. At roughly USD 17,100 in 2023, it exceeds the regional mean of about USD 10,300 and sits below only Chile, Uruguay and Panama in the region. On PPP terms the gap widens: Costa Rica's figure near USD 27,000 compares with a regional average near USD 19,000. The country's income level reflects a services-heavy economy and relatively high social spending, with public social expenditure above 20 per cent of GDP. Regional comparison is sensitive to exchange-rate movements, particularly in Argentina and Venezuela, which distort the regional average in any given year.
What drives GDP per capita growth in Costa Rica?
Export-oriented services and medical devices dominate. Medical instruments were Costa Rica's largest export in 2023 at about USD 6.5 billion, roughly 40 per cent of total goods exports, followed by business services and tourism receipts near USD 4 billion. Foreign direct investment averaged around 4 per cent of GDP over the past five years, concentrated in free-trade-zone manufacturing. Labour productivity growth has been modest, near 1 per cent a year, constrained by informality affecting roughly 40 per cent of employment. The OECD accession process, with a technical review under way since 2015, has pushed policy attention toward competition and regulatory reform as per-capita income growth has slowed since 2015.
How does Costa Rica's GDP per capita compare with OECD members?
Costa Rica's GDP per capita remains well below the OECD average. At about USD 17,100 in 2023, it is roughly 40 per cent of the OECD mean near USD 43,000 on current-dollar terms, and about 55 per cent on PPP terms. Among the 38 members, Costa Rica ranks near the bottom, above only Colombia and Mexico on the PPP measure. The country joined the OECD in 2021, and accession commitments cover tax transparency and statistical standards rather than income convergence. Closing the gap at recent growth differentials of 1 to 2 percentage points a year would take several decades, and the OECD projects Costa Rican per-capita growth near 2.5 per cent for 2024.