Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending was 67.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Costa Rica, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Costa Rica is 67.2%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and down 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Costa Rica peaked at 73.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 64.0%, in 2005.
That places Costa Rica 62nd out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 64.9% | — |
| 2001 | 65.6% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 66.9% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 66.4% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 66.0% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 64.0% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 66.1% | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 66.2% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 67.8% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 70.9% | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 72.3% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 70.2% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 70.7% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 71.0% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 71.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 72.7% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 73.3% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 73.5% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 72.4% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 72.5% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 71.8% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 70.3% | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 69.0% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 67.2% | -2.6% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 67.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 73.1%, 92% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 67.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 59.0%, 1.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66.5% | 64.0% | 70.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.0% | 70.2% | 73.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.6% | 67.2% | 71.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 59 Netherlands 68.4% compare
- 60 Bosnia and Herzegovina 67.3% compare
- 61 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 67.3% compare
- 63 Dominica 67.1% compare
- 64 United Arab Emirates 66.8% compare
- 65 Belarus 66.8% compare
More health data for Costa Rica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.78 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,632 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 35 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -3.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0248 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -3.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Costa Rica?
- Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Costa Rica was 67.2% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 73.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.0% in 2005.
- How does Costa Rica rank for public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending?
- Costa Rica ranks 62nd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from domestic public sources for health.