Healthcare Spending: Costa Rica

Analysis# Costa Rica Healthcare Spending Costa Rica allocated 6.866% of its GDP to healthcare in 2023, representing a modest increase from the all-time low of 6.474% in 2001. The country's peak spending occurred in 2011 at 8.122% of GDP, reflecting heightened healthcare investment over a decade ago. Since 2000, overall healthcare spending has grown 4.6%, demonstrating Costa Rica's sustained commitment to health services despite economic fluctuations. A notable decline began in 2015, dropping from 7.664% in 2014 to 6.866% by 2023. The 2020 pandemic spike to 7.825% proved temporary, followed by a resumption of the downward trend. Current spending levels suggest Costa Rica is consolidating healthcare expenditures toward a leaner baseline after years of higher investment, positioning the country in the lower-middle range of its two-decade spending history.