Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 594.13 million current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
594.13 million current US$
Change on year
up 13.2%
World rank
105th
of 193 countries
All-time high
617.92 million current US$
in 2007
All-time low
2.00 million current US$
in 1977
Years of data
45
1977–2021

Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Costa Rica, 1977–2021

0200.0M400.0M600.0M1977199920211977: 2.0M current US$1978: 2.9M current US$1979: 2.7M current US$1980: 4.1M current US$1981: 2.4M current US$1982: 5.6M current US$1983: 5.3M current US$1984: 6.4M current US$1985: 7.2M current US$1986: 7.7M current US$1987: 7.9M current US$1988: 9.1M current US$1989: 10.0M current US$1990: 12.0M current US$1991: 13.4M current US$1992: 14.2M current US$1993: 16.0M current US$1994: 17.1M current US$1995: 123.3M current US$1996: 130.8M current US$1997: 130.1M current US$1998: 128.1M current US$1999: 126.5M current US$2000: 136.0M current US$2001: 198.4M current US$2002: 250.6M current US$2003: 320.9M current US$2004: 319.5M current US$2005: 420.3M current US$2006: 513.2M current US$2007: 617.9M current US$2008: 604.8M current US$2009: 513.1M current US$2010: 530.7M current US$2011: 520.2M current US$2012: 562.3M current US$2013: 596.4M current US$2014: 593.9M current US$2015: 552.0M current US$2016: 545.4M current US$2017: 560.4M current US$2018: 533.5M current US$2019: 553.4M current US$2020: 524.8M current US$2021: 594.1M current US$

Source: World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 594.13 million current US$ for personal remittances and foreign aid received in 2021.

That represents a change of up 13.2% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in Costa Rica peaked at 617.92 million current US$ in 2007 and was at its lowest, 2.00 million current US$, in 1977.

That places Costa Rica 105th out of 193 countries with data for 2021, 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.53 million current US$ 2.00 million current US$ 2.90 million current US$ 3
1980s 6.57 million current US$ 2.40 million current US$ 10.00 million current US$ 10
1990s 71.15 million current US$ 12.00 million current US$ 130.77 million current US$ 10
2000s 389.48 million current US$ 135.97 million current US$ 617.92 million current US$ 10
2010s 554.82 million current US$ 520.22 million current US$ 596.40 million current US$ 10
2020s 559.46 million current US$ 524.79 million current US$ 594.13 million current US$ 2

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 102 Togo 650.39 million current US$ compare
  2. 103 Cyprus 627.11 million current US$ compare
  3. 104 New Caledonia 621.06 million current US$ compare
  4. 106 Estonia 589.90 million current US$ compare
  5. 107 French Polynesia 581.56 million current US$ compare
  6. 108 Burkina Faso 570.95 million current US$ compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in Costa Rica?
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Costa Rica was 594.13 million current US$ in 2021, according to World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 617.92 million current US$ in 2007.
What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 2.00 million current US$ in 1977.
How does Costa Rica rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
Costa Rica ranks 105th out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Personal remittances and foreign aid received. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Personal remittances and foreign aid received
Unit
current US$
Source
World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 6,518 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Remittances are financial transfers from non-residents to residents of a country, such as a worker abroad sending money to family and friends. Foreign aid is measured as official development assistance. Both are measured in current US$.