Government at a Glance

Latin America and the Caribbean 2017

Country Fact Sheet

Costa Rica

As a share of GDP, Costa Rica collects the least revenue in the region
In 2014, the Costa Rican government collected the least revenues in the LAC region, amounting to 13.6%
of GDP, compared to an average of 28.6% of GDP. As of 2014 revenues increased by 0.5 percentage points,
attaining 14.1% of GDP in 2015. However, further efforts are required to raise revenues, especially as ex-
penditures increased by a similar proportion for the same period, and the economy was faced with budget
deficits above 5.5% of GDP in 2014 and 2015.
Chapter 2: Public finance and economics
2.1. General government fiscal balance as a percentage of GDP, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015
2.6. General government revenues as a percentage of GDP, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015
2.14. General government expenditures as a percentage of GDP, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015

Costa Rica improved compensation management of the civil service

In 2006, the Costa Rican public sector workforce experienced high salary discrepancies between profession-
als working under the civil service regime (the executive’s central administration) and their peers carrying
out similar jobs in several autonomous agencies, who were paid much better. In consequence, it was difficult
for the central administration to attract and retain staff. As a result, Costa Rica implemented an ambitious
reform to enhance compensation for professionals working under the civil service regime. Costa Rica made
the greatest improvement among LAC countries on the compensation management index, increasing from
35/100 in 2004 to 60/100 in 2013 (the second-highest score) compared to an average increase of 6 points
(from 29 to 35) in the region. However, the fiscal consequences of the reform have been more acute than
expected, since following complaints by teachers’ organisations; the benefits were also extended to them,
which was not originally planned.
Chapter 6: Human Resources Management
6.7. Compensation management (2004, 2012-15)

Costa Rica has linked its open government strategy to the national development plan
A government is open when it is transparent, accountable, engaging and operates with integrity. To strength-
en and focus open government efforts 54% of LAC countries, including Costa Rica, have adopted an overar-
ching national strategy on open government. However, despite the existence of such strategies in many LAC
countries, open government efforts remain scattered. Costa Rica is one of the few LAC countries that have
linked its open government strategy to the national development plan as means of ensuring wider application
and consistency of open government initiatives.
Chapter 8: Digital and Open Government
8.13. Existence of national open government strategy
 How to read the figures:
Values have been rounded.
Country value in green n.a. refers to
(not represented if not available) Range of LAC country Average of LAC country Average of OECD country data not available
Costa Rica values in grey values in purple values in blue

GOVERNMENT INPUTS: FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES

Public Finance & Economics Public Employment & Compensation

Public Finance and Economics

Government revenues Government expenditures Government investment Government gross debt
(2014, 2015) (2014, 2015) (2014) (2014, 2015)
% of GDP % of GDP % of GDP % of GDP

42.4% 100% 39.3%

Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica (2015) (2014)
0%
14.1% 20.0%
(2015) (2015)
28.6% 33.1% 2.4% 2.6%
13.6% 19.6% 50.4% 100%

(2014) (2014) (2014)

(2014) (2014) 0%
10% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 20% 30% 40% 50%
0% 30% 60% 90% 120% 150%

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database Source: IMF Government Finance Statistics database Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database

Fiscal balance (2014, 2015) Breakdown of tax revenues

% of GDP (2014)
% of total taxation

0%

-2%
Costa Rica Costa Rica
-4%
Goods and services
-6%
G@G /data Income and profits
-5.8% -6.0% -4.5% 16.4%
-8% 40.3% Social security
34.0% 49.5% Other
27.9%
(2015) (2014) (2014) 18.2%

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database Source: OECD Revenue Statistics in Latin America (database)

Public Employment and Compensation

Public sector employment Public sector employment
as % of total employment filled by women
(2014) * (2014) *

25% 60%

15.2% 20% 48.9%

Costa Rica Costa Rica
15%
50%
10%

12.0% 5% 50.3%
0% 40%

Source: International Labour Organization (database). * See Notes Source: International Labour Organization (database). * See Notes
G@G /data
 GOVERNMENT PROCESSES
Government Institutions Public Procurement Digital Government Health Financing Systems and Budget

Government Institutions
Level of influence of the iREG: Composite indicator Civil service merit index
Centre of Government on stakeholder engagement (2015) (2012-2015)
over line ministries The max. score for each category is 1, and Composite index from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest)
the max. aggregate score for the composite is 4
(2015)

Costa Rica
Costa Rica
100 100
4.0 4.0
Moderate Oversight,
73 45
3.5 1.24 1.61 3.5 quality
Costa Rica 80 80
3.0 3.0 control

2.5 2.5 Transparency 60 60

33%
2.0 2.0
47% Systematic
40 40
1.5 1.5 adoption
20%
1.0 1.0 Methodology 20 20
0.5 0.5
High Moderate Low
0.0 0.0 0 0

Source: OECD 2015 Survey on Centre of Government Source: OECD Indicators of Regulatory Policy and Governance for Latin America Source: Inter-American Development Bank, 2014

Public Procurement
Government procurement Development of strategic public procurement by objective
(2014) * (2015)
% of GDP
Support to Green MSMEs Procure innovative Women owned
public procurement goods and services enterprises

Costa Rica
n.a.
Costa Rica

5.9% 7.7%
6 12 0 6 4 19 0 1 2 12 0 8 1 3 0 16

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% A strategy / policy has been developed by some procuring entities A strategy / policy has been rescinded
A strategy / policy has been developed at a central level A strategy / policy has never been developed

Source: IMF Government Finance Statistics database. * See Notes Source: 2015 OECD Survey on Public Procurement

Digital Government
Existence of a main national citizens portal for OURdata Index:
government services and a legally recognised Open, Useful, Reusable Government Data (2016)
digital identification mechanism (2015) Composite index from 0 (lowest) to 1 (highest)

Legally recognised
Main national digital identification
citizens portal for (e.g. digital signature)
government services mechanism Costa Rica
1.0 1.0
Government
0.46 0.44 support
0.8 0.8 to re-use
Costa Rica Data
0.6 0.6
accessibility

0.4 0.4 Data

61% 56% availability
0.2 0.2

Yes No 0.0 0.0

Source: OECD Survey on digital government performance Source: 2016 OECD Survey on Open Government Data
 GOVERNMENT PROCESSES
Health Financing Systems And Budget Formulation
Health care financing schemes and percentage of population covered (2015)

Government
financing scheme
Social
Costa Rica health insurance
Voluntary
0% 63% private insurance
95% 39% Other
0% 6%
2% Compulsory
0%
private insurance
0% 2%
5% 4% Not covered
by any explicit
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 arrangement
Source: 2015 OECD Survey of Budget Officials on Budgeting Practices for Health in LAC countries

OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES

Gini coefficient: Differences in income inequality pre and post-tax and government transfers (2012)
Indicator from 0 (low income concentration) to 100 (high income concentration)

Costa Rica
0.6 0.6 0.6
Higher Higher
inequality inequality
0.5 0.51 0.5 0.52 0.50 0.5
0.49 0.47
rs s
0.4 0.4 fe fer 0.4
ers ans ans
ans
f
an d tr and tr
and tr xes xes
xes ta ta
0.3 ta 0.3 0.3
0.29
Lower Lower
inequality 0.2 0.2 0.2 inequality
Before After Before After Before After
Source: OECD Income Distribution Database

Notes
* Public sector employment as % of total employment and public sector employment filled by women data for Costa Rica are for 2013. Costs of
goods and services financed by general government are not included in government procurement because they are not accounted separately in the
IMF Government Finance Statistics (database). For Costa Rica, the part of government procurement related to gross fixed capital formation does
not include the consumption of fixed capital.
For more information on the data (including full methodology and figure notes) and to consult all other Country Fact Sheets:
http://www.oecd.org/gov/government-at-a-glance-lac.htm
The Excel spreadsheets used to create the tables and figures in Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 are available via the Stat-
Links provided throughout the publication: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264265554-en

Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2017

Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 is the second edition of a joint publication between the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). It provides readers with a dashboard of key indicators to
inform policy making and benchmark specific interventions. The model is the OECD Government at a Glance, which is a fundamental reference,
backed by a well-established methodology for OECD member countries. Compared to the previous edition that had a special focus on Public
Financial Management and alongside with indicators on public finances and public employment this second version covers a wider range of public
management areas including the role and influence of the Centre of Government, Open Government and Open Data policies, Digital Government,
Regulatory Governance and practices for Budgeting in health systems.