Energy imports and exports in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Energy imports and exports was 60.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Energy imports and exports in Costa Rica, 1990–2023
Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of energy use.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 60.4% for energy imports and exports in 2023.
The figure is up 13.8% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy imports and exports in Costa Rica peaked at 72.5% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 46.8%, in 2020.
Costa Rica ranks 38th of 142 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Energy imports and exports in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of energy use | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 62.0% | — |
| 1991 | 60.4% | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 62.7% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 63.9% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 66.9% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 70.0% | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 66.8% | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 65.0% | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 72.5% | +11.7% |
| 1999 | 71.2% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 61.4% | -13.8% |
| 2001 | 65.3% | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 64.2% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 62.7% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 52.0% | -17.0% |
| 2005 | 55.0% | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 54.5% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 56.3% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 57.3% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 51.9% | -9.4% |
| 2010 | 53.2% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 54.3% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 50.3% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 51.0% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 52.3% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 50.9% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 56.1% | +10.2% |
| 2017 | 60.5% | +7.9% |
| 2018 | 58.4% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 58.0% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 46.8% | -19.2% |
| 2021 | 53.4% | +14.0% |
| 2022 | 53.1% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 60.4% | +13.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.1% | 60.4% | 72.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.0% | 51.9% | 65.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.5% | 50.3% | 60.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.4% | 46.8% | 60.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More energy & mining data for Costa Rica
- 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)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 10.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy imports and exports in Costa Rica?
- Energy imports and exports in Costa Rica was 60.4% in 2023, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy imports and exports recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 72.5% in 1998.
- What is the lowest energy imports and exports recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.8% in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for energy imports and exports?
- Costa Rica ranks 38th out of 142 countries with data for 2023.
- Is energy imports and exports rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy imports and exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Energy trade, measured as the percentage of energy use. Positive values indicate a country or region is a net importer of energy. Negative numbers indicate a country or region is a net exporter.