Costa Rica - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in Costa Rica was 29.80 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 46 years was 29.80 in 2019, while its lowest value was 15.06 in 1974.

Definition: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.

See also:

Year Value
1973 15.55
1974 15.06
1975 16.31
1976 16.35
1977 16.14
1978 20.53
1979 21.28
1980 21.59
1981 18.09
1982 16.62
1983 20.97
1984 20.02
1985 19.51
1986 24.26
1987 25.56
1988 23.21
1989 24.36
1990 24.25
1991 18.42
1992 17.78
1993 19.36
1994 23.00
1995 21.54
1996 22.49
1997 21.39
1998 21.06
1999 22.12
2000 22.03
2001 22.76
2002 24.59
2003 23.62
2004 22.53
2005 22.65
2006 21.60
2007 21.16
2008 21.67
2009 24.74
2010 25.61
2011 25.38
2012 25.94
2013 26.52
2014 26.74
2015 28.55
2016 27.15
2017 25.40
2018 28.92
2019 29.80

Limitations and Exceptions: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance