Overview: In 1993 the economy grew at an estimated 6.5%, compared with 7.7% in 1992 and 2.1% in 1991. Increases in agricultural production (coffee and bananas), nontraditional exports, and tourism are responsible for much of the growth. Inflation in 1993 dropped to 9% from 17% in 1992 and 25% in 1991, an indication of basic financial stability. Unemployment is officially reported at 4.0%, but much underemployment remains.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19.3 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 6.5% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $5,900 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4% (1993); much underemployment

Budget:
revenues: $1.1 billion
expenditures: $1.34 billion, including capital expenditures of $110 million (1991 est.)

Exports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar
partners: US, Germany, Italy, Guatemala, El Salvador, Netherlands, UK, France

Imports: $2.9 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum
partners: US, Japan, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Germany

External debt: $3.2 billion (1991)

Industrial production: growth rate 10.5% (1992); accounts for 22% of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 927,000 kW
production: 3.612 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,130 kWh (1992)

Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Agriculture: accounts for 19% of GDP and 70% of exports; cash commodities - coffee, beef, bananas, sugar; other food crops include corn, rice, beans, potatoes; normally self-sufficient in food except for grain; depletion of forest resources resulting in lower timber output

Illicit drugs: transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $935 million; Communist countries (1971-89), $27 million

Currency: 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1 - 150.67 (December 1993), 142.17 (1993), 134.51 (1992), 122.43 (1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Costa Rica on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Costa Rica Economy 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Costa Rica Economy 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.