Primary energy use in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Primary energy use was 49.39 terawatt-hours in 2024. ▲ Rising
Primary energy use in Costa Rica, 1980–2024
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 49.39 terawatt-hours for primary energy use in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and up 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use in Costa Rica peaked at 50.69 terawatt-hours in 2023 and was at its lowest, 11.11 terawatt-hours, in 1984.
That places Costa Rica 117th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.42 terawatt-hours | 11.11 terawatt-hours | 15.47 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.68 terawatt-hours | 14.92 terawatt-hours | 29.12 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.96 terawatt-hours | 29.09 terawatt-hours | 38.92 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.97 terawatt-hours | 38.26 terawatt-hours | 46.81 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.62 terawatt-hours | 40.79 terawatt-hours | 50.69 terawatt-hours | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More energy & mining data for Costa Rica
- Fuel imports 10.3% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 1.6% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 1.4% (2024)
- Gas production 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel exports 0.0% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 9.1% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 56.3% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary energy use in Costa Rica?
- Primary energy use in Costa Rica was 49.39 terawatt-hours in 2024, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 50.69 terawatt-hours in 2023.
- What is the lowest primary energy use recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.11 terawatt-hours in 1984.
- How does Costa Rica rank for primary energy use?
- Costa Rica ranks 117th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary energy use rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.