Costa Rica vs South Korea: Government spending by function
Costa Rica
26.1%
in 2021
South Korea
26.2%
in 2023
Costa Rica rank
33rd
South Korea rank
32nd
Government spending by function over time
- Costa Rica
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 26.2% against 26.1% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.1%.
Across all 10 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 33rd and South Korea ranks 32nd of 37 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 25.3% | 21.7% | 3.6% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 26.9% | 24.3% | 2.6% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Costa Rica or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 26.2% against 26.1% in Costa Rica as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Costa Rica and South Korea?
- 0.1%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Korea?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2021.
- How do Costa Rica and South Korea rank globally for government spending by function?
- Costa Rica ranks 33rd and South Korea ranks 32nd of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.