Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 18.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Costa Rica, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2023, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Costa Rica stood at 18.0%. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Costa Rica peaked at 36.2% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 18.0%, in 2023.
Costa Rica ranks 17th of 116 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.6% | — |
| 2001 | 21.4% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 28.2% | +32.0% |
| 2003 | 21.6% | -23.3% |
| 2004 | 29.9% | +38.5% |
| 2005 | 29.9% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 30.5% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 31.8% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 29.5% | -7.3% |
| 2009 | 34.9% | +18.6% |
| 2010 | 34.7% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 35.6% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 36.2% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 25.3% | -30.1% |
| 2014 | 24.3% | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 24.5% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 25.0% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 25.1% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 24.6% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 22.9% | -7.1% |
| 2020 | 20.2% | -11.7% |
| 2021 | 19.8% | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 18.7% | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 18.0% | -3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.8% | 20.6% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.8% | 22.9% | 36.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.2% | 18.0% | 20.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 14 Burkina Faso 18.8% compare
- 15 Bangladesh 18.6% compare
- 16 Kenya 18.4% compare
- 18 Nicaragua 18.0% compare
- 19 Jamaica 17.7% compare
- 20 Mozambique 17.7% compare
More education data for Costa Rica
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14,772 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 62,694 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 61,047 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 464,490 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 460,126 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -3.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0897 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Costa Rica?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Costa Rica was 18.0% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 36.2% in 2012.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.0% in 2023.
- How does Costa Rica rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Costa Rica ranks 17th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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