Consumption-based carbon intensity in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Consumption-based carbon intensity was 0.1824 kilograms per international-$ in 2022. ▼ Falling
Consumption-based carbon intensity in Costa Rica, 1990–2022
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per international-$.
Analysis
In 2022, consumption-based carbon intensity in Costa Rica stood at 0.1824 kilograms per international-$.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, consumption-based carbon intensity in Costa Rica peaked at 0.3002 kilograms per international-$ in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.1722 kilograms per international-$, in 2020.
Costa Rica ranks 91st of 119 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Consumption-based carbon intensity in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | kilograms per international-$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.2123 kilograms per international-$ | — |
| 1991 | 0.2162 kilograms per international-$ | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 0.221 kilograms per international-$ | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 0.2068 kilograms per international-$ | -6.4% |
| 1994 | 0.2345 kilograms per international-$ | +13.4% |
| 1995 | 0.2216 kilograms per international-$ | -5.5% |
| 1996 | 0.2077 kilograms per international-$ | -6.3% |
| 1997 | 0.2291 kilograms per international-$ | +10.3% |
| 1998 | 0.2216 kilograms per international-$ | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 0.2209 kilograms per international-$ | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.2298 kilograms per international-$ | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 0.225 kilograms per international-$ | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 0.3002 kilograms per international-$ | +33.4% |
| 2003 | 0.2601 kilograms per international-$ | -13.3% |
| 2004 | 0.2514 kilograms per international-$ | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 0.2461 kilograms per international-$ | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 0.2518 kilograms per international-$ | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 0.2617 kilograms per international-$ | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 0.2641 kilograms per international-$ | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 0.2162 kilograms per international-$ | -18.1% |
| 2010 | 0.2176 kilograms per international-$ | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 0.2297 kilograms per international-$ | +5.5% |
| 2012 | 0.2179 kilograms per international-$ | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 0.2175 kilograms per international-$ | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 0.2101 kilograms per international-$ | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 0.2015 kilograms per international-$ | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 0.2044 kilograms per international-$ | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 0.2018 kilograms per international-$ | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 0.202 kilograms per international-$ | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.1923 kilograms per international-$ | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 0.1722 kilograms per international-$ | -10.4% |
| 2021 | 0.1819 kilograms per international-$ | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 0.1824 kilograms per international-$ | +0.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 0.1824 kilograms per international-$ is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.2507 kilograms per international-$, 73% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 0.1824 kilograms per international-$ is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.2118 kilograms per international-$, 86% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Consumption-based carbon intensity in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +33.4% | 0.225 kilograms per international-$ | 0.3002 kilograms per international-$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.2192 kilograms per international-$ | 0.2068 kilograms per international-$ | 0.2345 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2506 kilograms per international-$ | 0.2162 kilograms per international-$ | 0.3002 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2095 kilograms per international-$ | 0.1923 kilograms per international-$ | 0.2297 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1788 kilograms per international-$ | 0.1722 kilograms per international-$ | 0.1824 kilograms per international-$ | 3 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 88 Ghana 0.1853 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 89 Egypt 0.1833 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 90 Qatar 0.1832 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 92 Kenya 0.1814 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 93 Sri Lanka 0.18 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 94 Netherlands 0.1789 kilograms per international-$ compare
More climate change data for Costa Rica
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 108.28 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,751 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 942.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,808 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 688.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 623.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 65.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.35 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is consumption-based carbon intensity in Costa Rica?
- Consumption-based carbon intensity in Costa Rica was 0.1824 kilograms per international-$ in 2022, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest consumption-based carbon intensity recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3002 kilograms per international-$ in 2002.
- What is the lowest consumption-based carbon intensity recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1722 kilograms per international-$ in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for consumption-based carbon intensity?
- Costa Rica ranks 91st out of 119 countries with data for 2022.
- Is consumption-based carbon intensity rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption-based carbon intensity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual consumption-based emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), measured in kilograms per dollar of GDP (2011 international-$).