Annual change in primary energy use in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Annual change in primary energy use was -1.3 terawatt-hours in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Annual change in primary energy use in Costa Rica, 1981–2024
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual change in primary energy use in Costa Rica is -1.3 terawatt-hours, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 133.8% on the previous year and down 235.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change in primary energy use in Costa Rica peaked at 4.62 terawatt-hours in 2021 and was at its lowest, -5.92 terawatt-hours, in 2020.
That places Costa Rica 179th out of 219 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual change in primary energy use in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.1365 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1982 | -0.615 terawatt-hours | -550.6% |
| 1983 | 0.6742 terawatt-hours | -209.6% |
| 1984 | -0.9769 terawatt-hours | -244.9% |
| 1985 | 0.7377 terawatt-hours | -175.5% |
| 1986 | -0.6605 terawatt-hours | -189.5% |
| 1987 | 1.62 terawatt-hours | -344.9% |
| 1988 | 1.53 terawatt-hours | -5.2% |
| 1989 | 1.14 terawatt-hours | -25.7% |
| 1990 | -0.552 terawatt-hours | -148.4% |
| 1991 | 0.8766 terawatt-hours | -258.8% |
| 1992 | 3.5 terawatt-hours | +299.5% |
| 1993 | 1.71 terawatt-hours | -51.3% |
| 1994 | 0.4077 terawatt-hours | -76.1% |
| 1995 | 1.29 terawatt-hours | +215.6% |
| 1996 | -0.3793 terawatt-hours | -129.5% |
| 1997 | 1.81 terawatt-hours | -578.4% |
| 1998 | 1.89 terawatt-hours | +4.3% |
| 1999 | 3.09 terawatt-hours | +63.1% |
| 2000 | -0.0264 terawatt-hours | -100.9% |
| 2001 | 0.5192 terawatt-hours | -2068.8% |
| 2002 | 1.16 terawatt-hours | +124.3% |
| 2003 | 1.41 terawatt-hours | +20.8% |
| 2004 | 0.0428 terawatt-hours | -97.0% |
| 2005 | 2.02 terawatt-hours | +4609.0% |
| 2006 | 1.98 terawatt-hours | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 2.69 terawatt-hours | +35.6% |
| 2008 | -0.1208 terawatt-hours | -104.5% |
| 2009 | -1.31 terawatt-hours | +982.5% |
| 2010 | 0.7722 terawatt-hours | -159.1% |
| 2011 | 0.3282 terawatt-hours | -57.5% |
| 2012 | 0.4419 terawatt-hours | +34.7% |
| 2013 | 0.8373 terawatt-hours | +89.5% |
| 2014 | 0.9609 terawatt-hours | +14.8% |
| 2015 | 0.3305 terawatt-hours | -65.6% |
| 2016 | 2.35 terawatt-hours | +612.3% |
| 2017 | 1.4 terawatt-hours | -40.5% |
| 2018 | 1.9 terawatt-hours | +35.4% |
| 2019 | -0.098 terawatt-hours | -105.2% |
| 2020 | -5.92 terawatt-hours | +5940.7% |
| 2021 | 4.62 terawatt-hours | -178.0% |
| 2022 | 1.42 terawatt-hours | -69.3% |
| 2023 | 3.86 terawatt-hours | +172.0% |
| 2024 | -1.3 terawatt-hours | -133.8% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's -1.3 terawatt-hours is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.031 terawatt-hours. (75 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's -1.3 terawatt-hours is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.0398 terawatt-hours. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual change in primary energy use in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -5940.7% | -0.098 terawatt-hours | -5.92 terawatt-hours |
| 2005 | +4609.0% | 0.0428 terawatt-hours | 2.02 terawatt-hours |
| 2001 | +2068.8% | -0.0264 terawatt-hours | 0.5192 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.3984 terawatt-hours | -0.9769 terawatt-hours | 1.62 terawatt-hours | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.36 terawatt-hours | -0.552 terawatt-hours | 3.5 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8368 terawatt-hours | -1.31 terawatt-hours | 2.69 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9226 terawatt-hours | -0.098 terawatt-hours | 2.35 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5346 terawatt-hours | -5.92 terawatt-hours | 4.62 terawatt-hours | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More energy & mining data for Costa Rica
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -2.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fuel imports 10.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual change in primary energy use in Costa Rica?
- Annual change in primary energy use in Costa Rica was -1.3 terawatt-hours in 2024, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual change in primary energy use recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 4.62 terawatt-hours in 2021.
- What is the lowest annual change in primary energy use recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was -5.92 terawatt-hours in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for annual change in primary energy use?
- Costa Rica ranks 179th out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual change in primary energy use rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 235.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual change in primary energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Change in total energy supply relative to the previous year, measured in terawatt-hours.