Costa Rica: Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Costa Rica's air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide fell 55% on 2022 (from 34,907 to 15,698).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +7.5% and a typical year strayed about 29.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 80.4% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 73.9% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 3,634 a year. A straight line explains 58% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Costa Rica had the 89th highest value of the 150 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Costa Rica in the 2023 ranking

• Honduras — 86th of 150: 16,565
• Macao SAR, China — 87th of 150: 16,207
• Malta — 88th of 150: 16,075
• Togo — 90th of 150: 15,447
• Angola — 91st of 150: 14,831
• Czechia — 92nd of 150: 14,545

What this measures

Registered carrier departures worldwide are domestic takeoffs and takeoffs abroad of air carriers registered in the country.

Limitations: While ICAO aviation data provide a globally standardized and comprehensive view of air transport activity, several limitations affect their accuracy and comparability. Data quality depends on the completeness and consistency of country reporting, which can vary due to differences in national statistical capacity, regulatory environments, and adherence to ICAO definitions. Some countries may not report all relevant data, leading ICAO to estimate missing values using historical submissions and published schedules, which can introduce uncertainty. Changes in airline registration, mergers, or operational practices may also affect the attribution of traffic statistics.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 54 values

Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 1,057 (2022)
• Argentina — 156,614 (2023)
• Bahamas, The — 41,831 (2023)
• Belize — 93,784 (2023)
• Bolivia — 50,459 (2023)
• Brazil — 791,523 (2023)
• Chile — 144,494 (2023)
• Colombia — 373,147 (2023)
• Cuba — 1,694 (2023)
• Dominican Republic

More infrastructure data for Costa Rica

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 610,457 (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 11.9 (2024)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 7.18 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 1.97 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 6.98 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 136.03 (2024)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 438 (2024)
• Patent applications, residents — 15 (2024)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 59.63% (2024)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Costa Rica's air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide?

15,698 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 9.01% from 14,400 in 1970 (0.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 50,239 in 2014 and the lowest 8,400 in 1986.

How does Costa Rica rank?

89th highest of 150 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2023, Costa Rica's air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide fell 55% on 2022 (from 34,907 to 15,698). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +7.5% and a typical year strayed about 29.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IS.AIR.DPRT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), uri: https://data.icao.int/newdataplus/#:~:text=ICAO%20data%20is%20comprised%20of,information%20about%20commercial%20air%20carriers; ICAO Staff estimates, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), uri:… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.