Renewable Energy Consumption: Costa Rica

Analysis# Costa Rica Renewable Energy Consumption Costa Rica derived 34.2% of its total energy from renewable sources in 2021, down from a peak of 45.4% in 1990. Despite ranking among the world's renewable energy leaders, the country has experienced a 24.7% decline in renewable consumption over the past three decades. The all-time low of 28.9% occurred in 1998, after which the metric stabilized in the mid-to-upper 30s for most of the 2010s. The declining trend accelerated between 2012 and 2019, dropping from 38.1% to 33.1%. A notable recovery appeared in 2020 at 36.4%, though 2021 retreated to 34.2%, suggesting volatility rather than sustained improvement. This pattern reflects increased energy demand outpacing renewable capacity expansion, despite Costa Rica's continued investments in hydroelectric and wind power generation.