🇨🇷 Costa Rica National Debt Clock
Live tracker for Costa Rica government debt. The national debt currently stands at approximately $35.7 billion, growing at $71 every second based on IMF fiscal deficit projections. Debt-to-GDP: 60%. Per-citizen share: $6,872.
About Costa Rica's National Debt
Costa Rica's rising debt led to a 2021 IMF programme and a new fiscal rule; the country, which famously has no standing army, has since narrowed its deficits.
Costa Rica's debt-to-GDP ratio of 60% is elevated above the IMF's informal 60% benchmark, though still manageable for a government with deep capital markets and institutional credibility. By total government debt, Costa Rica ranks 73rd of the 138 governments tracked here.
At the current borrowing rate of $71 per second, Costa Rica adds about $0.0 billion to its national debt every day — roughly $2 billion per year. Each of Costa Rica's 5 million citizens carries an individual share of approximately $6,872. That is below the world average of roughly $12,600 in government debt per person.
Figures are computed by Global Debt Clock using linear extrapolation from IMF general government gross debt baselines (Fiscal Monitor / WEO April 2026) and national treasury data. Actual debt changes through discrete bond issuances — these counters illustrate the approximate scale and pace of sovereign borrowing.
Costa Rica National Debt — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Costa Rica's national debt right now?
Costa Rica's national debt is approximately $35.7 billion as of July 29, 2026, growing at $71 per second. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is 60% and each citizen's share is about $6,872.
How fast is Costa Rica's debt growing?
Costa Rica's government debt grows at approximately $71 per second — about $0.0 billion per day — derived from IMF fiscal-deficit projections anchored to the April 2026 baseline.
What is Costa Rica's debt per capita?
Each of Costa Rica's 5 million citizens carries a notional share of approximately $6,872 of the national debt.
What is Costa Rica's debt-to-GDP ratio?
Costa Rica's debt-to-GDP ratio is 60%. This is above the IMF's informal 60% benchmark but generally manageable for an economy with sound institutions.
Why is Costa Rica's government debt at this level?
Costa Rica's rising debt led to a 2021 IMF programme and a new fiscal rule; the country, which famously has no standing army, has since narrowed its deficits.
Compare Costa Rica vs another country
Live side-by-side debt comparisons — shareable cards for journalists and social.
Further reading
Other Americas countries
Data & Citation
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook · World Bank International Debt Statistics · baseline anchored .
Methodology: debt = 35,000,000,000 + 71 × seconds_since(2026-04-01)
Machine-readable data: /api/debt?c=cr (live JSON) · /data/debt.json (full dataset)
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