In 2025, general government expenditure as a share of GDP in Costa Rica was 17.8 %, down from 18.6 % in 2024. Explore the historical series and compare Costa Rica with other economies below.
Government expenditure (% of GDP)
Total expenditure of the general government
Costa Rica
Year
%
2025
17.8
2024
18.6
2023
18.3
2022
18.7
2021
20.6
2020
22.1
2019
21.6
2018
18.9
2017
19.2
2016
18.8
2015
18.8
2014
18.4
2013
18.5
2012
17.3
2011
17.2
2010
18.0
2009
16.7
2008
15.2
2007
14.6
2006
15.2
2005
15.9
2004
17.0
2003
17.6
2002
18.6
2001
17.3
2000
16.9
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Government expenditure (% of GDP) compared with other countries
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Government expenditure (% of GDP)
About this indicator
This indicator measures general government total expenditure as a percentage of GDP. It captures all spending by the consolidated public sector in a given year, including wages and social benefits, interest payments, subsidies, transfers, and net acquisition of nonfinancial assets. Comparing expenditure-to-GDP ratios across countries shows the size of government relative to the economy. A higher ratio means the public sector accounts for a larger share of economic activity. The series follows the IMF World Economic Outlook definition of government expenditure, under the Government Finance Statistics Manual (GFSM) framework.
Sources and updates
Data sources
The data for this indicator are drawn from the IMF World Economic Outlook.
Last update
This indicator was last updated on Econorama on 18 June 2026 and reflects the latest data available from the underlying sources at that time.