🇨🇷 Costa Rica National Debt Clock
Live tracker for Costa Rica government debt. The national debt currently stands at approximately $69.7 billion, growing at $289 per second based on IMF fiscal deficit projections. Debt-to-GDP: 60%. Per-citizen share: $12,862.
Among the 135 governments tracked here, Costa Rica ranks 59th by debt-to-GDP, 68th by total debt and 46th by debt per person.
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: higher than 56% of the 135 governments tracked here. No ratio is safe or dangerous on its own — whether a debt is sustainable depends on the interest rate on it, how fast the economy grows, the currency it is owed in and who holds it. By total government debt, Costa Rica ranks 68th of the 135 governments tracked here.
At the current borrowing rate of $289 per second, Costa Rica adds about $25 million to its government debt every day — roughly $9.1 billion per year. Each of Costa Rica's 5 million residents carries an individual share of approximately $12,862. That is below the world average of roughly $14,600 in government debt per person.
Figures are computed by Global Debt Clock by linear extrapolation from each country's baseline figure, named in the source line on this page (for most countries, the IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026). 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 $69.7 billion as of October 27, 2026, growing at $289 per second. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is 60% and each citizen's share is about $12,862.
How fast is Costa Rica's debt growing?
Costa Rica's government debt is growing at approximately $289 per second — about $25 million per day — derived from the IMF's projections for 2026.
What is Costa Rica's debt per capita?
Each of Costa Rica's 5 million residents carries a notional share of approximately $12,862 of the national debt.
What is Costa Rica's debt-to-GDP ratio?
Costa Rica's debt-to-GDP ratio is 60%. That is higher than 56% of the 135 governments tracked here.
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
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Data & Citation
Source: IMF WEO October 2026 (GGXWDG, end-2025 stock) · baseline anchored .
Methodology: debt = 62,165,045,207 + 289 × seconds_since(2026-01-01)
Machine-readable data: /api/debt?c=cr (live JSON) · /data/debt.json (full dataset)
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