Costa Rica: Imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Costa Rica's imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP) rose 9.2% on 2024 (from US$40.3 billion to US$44 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +8.6% and a typical year strayed about 9.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 28.6% in 1992 and the biggest yearly fall was 23.1% in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$2.58 billion a year. A straight line explains 86% 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 2025, Costa Rica had the 71st highest value of the 136 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 2025 ranking

• Belarus — 68th of 136: US$57.5 billion
• Dominican Republic — 69th of 136: US$44.64 billion
• Bahrain — 70th of 136: US$44.05 billion
• Panama — 72nd of 136: US$42.96 billion
• Guatemala — 73rd of 136: US$42.47 billion
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 74th of 136: US$41.74 billion

What this measures

Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. Primary income represents the return that accrues to institutional units for their contribution to the production process or for the provision of financial assets and renting natural resources to other institutional units. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 49 values

Imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — US$1.51 billion (2025)
• Argentina — US$122.2 billion (2025)
• Aruba — US$3.03 billion (2023)
• Bahamas, The — US$7.99 billion (2024)
• Barbados — US$2.54 billion (2017)
• Belize — US$1.92 billion (2025)
• Bolivia — US$13.55 billion (2025)
• Brazil — US$510.89 billion (2025)
• Chile

More economic policy & debt data for Costa Rica

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$17.09 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$17.09 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$14.42 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 7.26 trillion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$11.4 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 7 trillion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 14.01% (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current US$)

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 imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP)?

US$44 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is up 3,535% from US$1.21 billion in 1977 (7.77% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$44 billion in 2025 and the lowest US$1.21 billion in 1977.

How does Costa Rica rank?

71st highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2025, Costa Rica's imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP) rose 9.2% on 2024 (from US$40.3 billion to US$44 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +8.6% and a typical year strayed about 9.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 BM.GSR.TOTL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments 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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