Latin America & Caribbean · OECD
Data checked 28 Oct 2026 · next scheduled check 1 Jan 2027 · UN World Population Prospects (via World Bank) released 1 Jul 2026 · World Bank WDI released 8 Oct 2026
Total spending · 2024
18.9%
+2.8 pts since 1995
Welfare · 2024
Not available
Healthcare · 2024
Not available
Defence · 2024
Not available
Education · 2024
Not available
Debt interest · 2024
Not available
Gross debt · 2025
60.4%
of GDP · +27 pts since 1996
Population · 2025
5.2m
45.8% since 1995
Public-sector employment
Not available: no official public-sector employment series is loaded for Costa Rica yet.
Welfare rose from 6.8% to 7.2% of GDP between 2012 and 2022.
Healthcare fell from 6.2% to 5.6% of GDP between 2012 and 2018, then rose to 5.9% by 2022.
Defence held from 0.0% to 0.0% of GDP between 2012 and 2022.
Education rose from 7.1% to 7.7% of GDP between 2012 and 2017, then fell to 6.1% by 2022.
Debt interest rose from 1.5% to 3.3% of GDP between 2012 and 2022.
Total spending rose from 16.1% to 34.0% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 18.9% by 2024.
Gross debt fell from 33.7% to 24.0% of GDP between 1996 and 2008, then rose to 60.4% by 2025.
Population grew from 3.5 million in 1995 to 5.2 million in 2025; the UN projects 5.4 million by 2050.