Costa Rica: Customs and other import duties (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Costa Rica's customs and other import duties (current LCU) rose 10.7% on 2023 (from 169.31 billion to 187.49 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +6.8% and a typical year strayed about 16.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 147.7% in 1984 and the biggest yearly fall was 29.7% in 1996. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Costa Rica had the 19th highest value of the 65 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 2024 ranking

• China — 16th of 65: 250.94 billion
• Türkiye — 17th of 65: 234.96 billion
• Rwanda — 18th of 65: 194.48 billion
• Mexico — 20th of 65: 139.99 billion
• Thailand — 21st of 65: 106.53 billion
• Ethiopia — 22nd of 65: 101.98 billion

What this measures

Taxes and duties on imports are taxes on goods and services that become payable at the moment when goods enter the economic territory or when services are delivered by non-resident producers to residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 53 values

Customs and other import duties (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 3.64 trillion (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 258.45 million (2024)
• Barbados — 245.19 million (2016)
• Brazil — 77.49 billion (2024)
• Chile — 671.1 billion (2024)
• Colombia — 6.06 trillion (2024)
• Dominican Republic — 60.11 billion (2024)
• Ecuador — 1.27 billion (2022)
• El Salvador — 507.6 million (2024)
• Guatemala

More public sector data for Costa Rica

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 0 (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 0 (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0% (2025)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 2.62 trillion (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 18.37% (2024)
• Social contributions (current LCU) — 4.93 trillion (2024)
• Social contributions (% of revenue) — 34.59% (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 13.66 trillion (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 27.42% (2024)
• Taxes on exports (current LCU)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Costa Rica's customs and other import duties (current LCU)?

187.49 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1972?

It is up 89,182% from 210 million in 1972 (13.96% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 187.49 billion in 2024 and the lowest 210 million in 1972.

How does Costa Rica rank?

19th highest of 65 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in customs and other import duties (current LCU) unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2024, Costa Rica's customs and other import duties (current LCU) rose 10.7% on 2023 (from 169.31 billion to 187.49 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +6.8% and a typical year strayed about 16.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.TAX.IMPT.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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.

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