Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP was 6.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP in Costa Rica, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total healthcare spending as a share of gdp in Costa Rica is 6.9%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 4.4% on the previous year and down 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total healthcare spending as a share of gdp in Costa Rica peaked at 8.1% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 2001.
Costa Rica ranks 88th of 195 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.6% | — |
| 2001 | 6.5% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 6.9% | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 7.0% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 6.6% | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 6.7% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 6.9% | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 7.5% | +6.7% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 8.0% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 8.1% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 7.8% | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 7.7% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 7.7% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 7.6% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 7.3% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 7.0% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 7.2% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 7.8% | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 7.6% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 7.2% | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 6.9% | -4.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.9% | 6.5% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.6% | 7.0% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.4% | 6.9% | 7.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
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)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0256 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total healthcare spending as a share of gdp in Costa Rica?
- Total healthcare spending as a share of gdp in Costa Rica was 6.9% in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total healthcare spending as a share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 2011.
- What is the lowest total healthcare spending as a share of gdp recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 2001.
- How does Costa Rica rank for total healthcare spending as a share of gdp?
- Costa Rica ranks 88th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total healthcare spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Total healthcare spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total healthcare expenditure as the share of national gross domestic product (GDP).