Costa Rica: Net primary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Costa Rica's net primary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$1.5 billion on 2024 (from −US$8.23 billion to −US$9.73 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$270.01 million and a typical year strayed about US$559.13 million 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 US$1.13 billion in 2000 and the biggest yearly fall was US$2.15 billion in 2023. 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 downward, about US$759.02 million a year. A straight line explains 87% 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 109th 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

• Israel — 106th of 136: −US$8.23 billion
• Pakistan — 107th of 136: −US$8.79 billion
• Nigeria — 108th of 136: −US$9.09 billion
• Romania — 110th of 136: −US$11.47 billion
• Colombia — 111th of 136: −US$12.57 billion
• Switzerland — 112th of 136: −US$13.73 billion

What this measures

Net primary income includes the net labor income and net property and entrepreneurial income components of the SNA. Labor income covers compensation of employees paid to nonresident workers. Property and entrepreneurial income covers investment income from the ownership of foreign financial claims (interest, dividends, rent, etc.) and nonfinancial property income (patents, copyrights, etc.). 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.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 49 values

Net primary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — −US$75.61 million (2025)
• Argentina — −US$14.08 billion (2025)
• Aruba — −US$315.68 million (2023)
• Bahamas, The — −US$820.22 million (2024)
• Barbados — −US$253.07 million (2017)
• Belize — −US$164.55 million (2025)
• Bolivia — −US$1.72 billion (2025)
• Brazil — −US$81.35 billion (2025)
• Chile — −US$19.35 billion (2025)
• Colombia — −US$12.57 billion (2025)
• Curaçao

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

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Questions people ask

What is Costa Rica's net primary income (current US$, BoP)?

−US$9.73 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is down 12,874% from −US$75 million in 1977. The highest value was −US$75 million in 1977 and the lowest −US$9.73 billion in 2025.

How does Costa Rica rank?

109th highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in net primary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for Costa Rica?

In 2025, Costa Rica's net primary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$1.5 billion on 2024 (from −US$8.23 billion to −US$9.73 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$270.01 million and a typical year strayed about US$559.13 million 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 BN.GSR.FCTY.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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