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Prior to the global economic crisis, Costa Rica enjoyed stable economic growth. The economy contracted 1.6% in 2009. While the traditional agricultural exports of bananas, coffee, sugar, and beef are still the backbone of commodity export trade, a variety of industrial and specialized agricultural products have broadened export trade in recent years. High value added goods and services, including microchips, have further bolstered exports. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and relatively high education levels, as well as the fiscal incentives offered in the free-trade zones; and Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. However, many business impediments, such as high levels of bureaucracy, difficulty of enforcing contracts, and weak investor protection, remain. Poverty has remained around 15-20% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa Rica is not highly dependent on remittances as they only represent about 2% of GDP. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of - mostly unskilled - labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. Under the ARIAS administration, the government has made strides in reducing internal and external debt - in 2007, Costa Rica had its first budget surplus in 50 years. The US-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force on 1 January 2009, after significant delays within the Costa Rican legislature.
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$48.51 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
$49.25 billion (2008 est.)
$48 billion (2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
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$29.32 billion (2009 est.)
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-1.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
2.6% (2008 est.)
7.8% (2007 est.)
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$10,900 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
$11,200 (2008 est.)
$11,100 (2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
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agriculture: 6.4%
industry:
24.9%
services:
68.7% (2009 est.)
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2.121 million
country comparison to the world: 117
note:
this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2009 est.)
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agriculture: 14%
industry:
22%
services:
64% (2006 est.)
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7.8% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
4.9% (2008 est.)
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16% (2006 est.)
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lowest 10%: 1.5%
highest 10%:
35.5% (2005)
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48 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 30
45.9 (1997)
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20.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
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revenues: $4.02 billion
expenditures:
$4.896 billion (2009 est.)
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45.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
42.2% of GDP (2008 est.)
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7.8% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
13.4% (2008 est.)
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25% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 12
17% (31 December 2007)
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15.83% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 70
12.8% (31 December 2007)
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$4.209 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 74
$4.504 billion (31 December 2007)
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$3.143 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 97
$2.87 billion (31 December 2007)
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$15.15 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 71
$12.91 billion (31 December 2007)
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$NA (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 96
$1.887 billion (31 December 2008)
$2.035 billion (31 December 2007)
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bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef, poultry, dairy; timber
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microprocessors, food processing, medical equipment, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
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-2.9% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
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8.808 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
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8.064 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
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77.16 million kWh (2008 est.)
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203.2 million kWh (2007 est.)
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0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
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44,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
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2,117 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
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47,860 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
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0 bbl
country comparison to the world: 190
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
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0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
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-$614 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
-$2.729 billion (2008 est.)
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$8.847 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
$9.554 billion (2008 est.)
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bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
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US 32.61%, Netherlands 12.82%, China 11.81%, Mexico 4.2% (2009)
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$10.87 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$14.57 billion (2008 est.)
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raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials
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US 44.72%, Mexico 7.65%, Venezuela 5.56%, China 5.15%, Japan 4.36% (2009)
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$4.066 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
$3.799 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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$8.057 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
$9.249 billion (31 December 2008)
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$12.14 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$10.82 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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$540 million (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$531.6 million (31 December 2008 est.)
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Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 580.01 (2009), 530.41 (2008), 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005)
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