Military spending in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Military spending was 601.28 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Military spending in Costa Rica, 1920–2023
Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending in Costa Rica is 601.28 million constant 2022 US$, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 104 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.8% on the previous year and up 31.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Costa Rica peaked at 601.28 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.56 million constant 2022 US$, in 1924.
That places Costa Rica 103rd out of 172 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 7.76 million constant 2022 US$ | 6.56 million constant 2022 US$ | 9.37 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1930s | 9.30 million constant 2022 US$ | 8.33 million constant 2022 US$ | 9.85 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1940s | 16.18 million constant 2022 US$ | 11.65 million constant 2022 US$ | 25.45 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1950s | 16.53 million constant 2022 US$ | 12.99 million constant 2022 US$ | 19.73 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 20.18 million constant 2022 US$ | 17.77 million constant 2022 US$ | 27.44 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 43.80 million constant 2022 US$ | 27.81 million constant 2022 US$ | 62.74 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.92 million constant 2022 US$ | 47.32 million constant 2022 US$ | 57.20 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 83.57 million constant 2022 US$ | 59.55 million constant 2022 US$ | 106.89 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 156.71 million constant 2022 US$ | 122.23 million constant 2022 US$ | 232.35 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 450.09 million constant 2022 US$ | 262.81 million constant 2022 US$ | 589.17 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 574.30 million constant 2022 US$ | 554.57 million constant 2022 US$ | 601.28 million constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 100 Democratic Republic of Congo 640.30 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 101 Botswana 639.15 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 102 Turkmenistan 609.92 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 104 Honduras 583.42 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 105 Zimbabwe 578.61 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 106 Afghanistan 571.73 million constant 2022 US$ compare
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2864 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8623 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.1052 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3865 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.3144 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in Costa Rica?
- Military spending in Costa Rica was 601.28 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 601.28 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.56 million constant 2022 US$ in 1924.
- How does Costa Rica rank for military spending?
- Costa Rica ranks 103rd out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 104 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.