GDP (annual) in Costa Rica

Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the value of all final goods and services produced in Costa Rica over a year. It is the broadest gauge of its economy, published by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR).

It is estimated from the expenditure, output and income sides following international standards. It is released in real terms (at constant prices), with the usual reading being the year-on-year (YoY) change in GDP, tracking the special free-trade-zone regime separately.

It is the key reference for Costa Rica's cycle and affects employment, tax revenue and expectations. A strong reading supports the colón and gives room to the Central Bank of Costa Rica; the large weight of free-trade zones and services exports makes it very sensitive to external demand.

It is released with a lag and subject to revisions, so the first reading is not final. The concentration in free-trade zones can distort the reading of total GDP relative to the momentum of the rest of the economy, which is closer to households.