Costa Rica: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Costa Rica's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) fell 458.79 billion on 2023 (from 206.6 billion to -252.19 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2023), the average change was −16.78 billion and a typical year strayed about 366.37 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.1 trillion in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.07 trillion in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

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 70th highest value of the 90 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

• Czechia — 66th of 90: -222.98 billion
• Ethiopia — 67th of 90: -224.95 billion
• Poland — 68th of 90: -250.67 billion
• Thailand — 70th of 90: -280.86 billion
• South Africa — 71st of 90: -352.78 billion
• Armenia — 72nd of 90: -369.71 billion

What this measures

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. 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 48 values

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 449.43 billion (2024)
• Bahamas, The — -194.07 million (2024)
• Barbados — -471.26 million (2016)
• Belize — -52.73 million (2017)
• Brazil — -670.3 billion (2024)
• Chile — -8.66 trillion (2024)
• Colombia — -79.43 trillion (2024)
• Dominican Republic — -214.21 billion (2024)
• Ecuador — -7.22 million (2022)
• El Salvador

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 net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)?

-252.19 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1973?

It is down 109,547% from -230 million in 1973. The highest value was 236.01 billion in 2007 and the lowest -1.95 trillion in 2020.

How does Costa Rica rank?

70th highest of 90 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2024, Costa Rica's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) fell 458.79 billion on 2023 (from 206.6 billion to -252.19 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2023), the average change was −16.78 billion and a typical year strayed about 366.37 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.NLD.TOTL.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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