Median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ was 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices
Change on year
up 11.8%
World rank
42nd
of 120 countries
All-time high
23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2025
All-time low
4.57 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 1981
Years of data
39
1981–2025
Median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ in Costa Rica, 1981–2025
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices for median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ in 2025. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of up 11.8% on the previous year and up 35.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ in Costa Rica peaked at 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.57 international-$ in 2021 prices, in 1981.
Costa Rica ranks 42nd of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 4.57 international-$ in 2021 prices | — |
| 1986 | 6.08 international-$ in 2021 prices | +32.9% |
| 1989 | 7.93 international-$ in 2021 prices | +30.5% |
| 1990 | 8.1 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 7.33 international-$ in 2021 prices | -9.5% |
| 1992 | 7.74 international-$ in 2021 prices | +5.5% |
| 1993 | 8.91 international-$ in 2021 prices | +15.2% |
| 1994 | 9.92 international-$ in 2021 prices | +11.4% |
| 1995 | 9.64 international-$ in 2021 prices | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 8.99 international-$ in 2021 prices | -6.7% |
| 1997 | 9.63 international-$ in 2021 prices | +7.1% |
| 1998 | 10.6 international-$ in 2021 prices | +10.1% |
| 1999 | 10.06 international-$ in 2021 prices | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 10.05 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 12.37 international-$ in 2021 prices | +23.0% |
| 2002 | 12.37 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 12.9 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 12.24 international-$ in 2021 prices | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 12.81 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.6% |
| 2006 | 12.85 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 14.18 international-$ in 2021 prices | +10.3% |
| 2008 | 14.46 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 15.36 international-$ in 2021 prices | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 16.28 international-$ in 2021 prices | +6.0% |
| 2011 | 16.79 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 17.37 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 17.26 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 17.35 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 17.27 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 17.98 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 18.16 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 18.19 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 17.79 international-$ in 2021 prices | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 15.21 international-$ in 2021 prices | -14.5% |
| 2021 | 17.45 international-$ in 2021 prices | +14.7% |
| 2022 | 17.38 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 18.92 international-$ in 2021 prices | +8.8% |
| 2024 | 20.92 international-$ in 2021 prices | +10.6% |
| 2025 | 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices | +11.8% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices is below the median for high income countries, which is 49.01 international-$ in 2021 prices, 48% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 14.29 international-$ in 2021 prices, 1.6× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.19 international-$ in 2021 prices | 4.57 international-$ in 2021 prices | 7.93 international-$ in 2021 prices | 3 |
| 1990s | 9.09 international-$ in 2021 prices | 7.33 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10.6 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.96 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10.05 international-$ in 2021 prices | 15.36 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.44 international-$ in 2021 prices | 16.28 international-$ in 2021 prices | 18.19 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.88 international-$ in 2021 prices | 15.21 international-$ in 2021 prices | 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 39 Uruguay 26.84 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 40 Chile 24.57 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 41 Slovakia 24.46 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 43 Hungary 22.14 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 44 Serbia 21.06 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 45 Russia 20.29 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2987 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.406 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0167 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3161 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0907 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ in Costa Rica?
- Median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ in Costa Rica was 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2025, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 23.39 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2025.
- What is the lowest median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.57 international-$ in 2021 prices in 1981.
- How does Costa Rica rank for median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$?
- Costa Rica ranks 42nd out of 120 countries with data for 2025.
- Is median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$ rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Median income: 2021 vs. 2017 international-$. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Value of income or consumption per day below which 50% of the population live.