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    Costa Rica

    Tier 2
    Latin America · #48 of 117 markets · IEPA 2024 (final) · 2026 current estimate available
    57.6▲ +0.3 YoY
    ●●○0.83IEPA COMPOSITE

    Costa Rica scores 57.6 out of 100 on the IEPA (2024 edition), ranking #48 of 117 economies. That is up 0.3 points on the year before. Its strongest zone is Alignment at 68.3. Its binding constraint, the lowest-scoring of its six zones, is Innovation Capacity at 48.6. How the IEPA works →

    SIX FACTORS · CLICK ANY SCORE FOR ITS EVIDENCE
    IEPA TRAJECTORY · 2010–2026
    2010201220142016201820202022202420263642485460
    CAPITAL FLOWS · FDI NET INFLOWS % OF GDP
    201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212023202502468
    IE FDI intelligence · synced weekly
    PRODUCTIVE CAPABILITY
    IE COMPLEXITY LAYER · VINTAGE 2024
    #61of 145 ranked economies▲ 4 places since 2010
    How much productive know-how this market has demonstrated, read from the range and rarity of what it makes competitively.
    20102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202458616468
    CAPABILITY RANK · HIGHER IS BETTER
    2.11% / yr
    Implied growth
    Annual growth the current capability base points to.
    156
    Diversity
    Distinct products made at competitive scale.
    +0.33
    Capability score
    Standardized: 0 is the world average.
    -0.02
    Outlook
    Value of the new products within reach of what it already does.
    INDUSTRY STRENGTHS · REVEALED FROM TRADE EVIDENCE
    VINTAGE 2022-2024
    POSITION IN THE PRODUCT SPACE
    IE COMPLEXITY LAYER · VINTAGE 2024
    Construction, Building, and Home Supplies23 of 104 made · 43% of the rest within reach
    Agriculture36 of 200 made · 47% of the rest within reach
    Electronic and Electrical Goods10 of 73 made · 35% of the rest within reach
    Industrial Chemicals and Metals15 of 157 made · 31% of the rest within reach
    Textile and Home Goods6 of 78 made · 28% of the rest within reach
    Metalworking and Electrical Machinery and Parts6 of 155 made · 25% of the rest within reach
    Textile Apparel and Accessories2 of 50 made · 21% of the rest within reach
    Minerals1 of 48 made · 23% of the rest within reach
    MADE COMPETITIVELYONE STEP AWAY
    Textile Apparel and Accessories is the furthest: 4% made, and only 21% of the rest is within one step. A move there means building capability rather than extending it.
    READ ON THE 99 OF 156 COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS THAT CARRY A POSITION IN THE CAPABILITY MAP
    POSITIONED TO BUILD NEXT
    IE COMPLEXITY LAYER · VINTAGE 2024
    Books, brochures etc.$13B world market
    Wood, Paper & FurnitureOPENS 0.17 · COMPLEXITY +0.06
    Hair products$17B world market
    Chemicals & PlasticsOPENS 0.16 · COMPLEXITY +0.16
    Aluminum bars$20B world market
    Mining, Metals & MaterialsOPENS 0.13 · COMPLEXITY -0.09
    Other prepared or preserved meat$20B world market
    Agrifood & FisheriesOPENS 0.12 · COMPLEXITY -0.01
    Aluminum containers, <300 liters$7B world market
    Mining, Metals & MaterialsOPENS 0.12 · COMPLEXITY -0.13
    Cheese$40B world market
    Agrifood & FisheriesOPENS 0.12 · COMPLEXITY +0.13
    THE NEAREST OPTIONS AMONG 399 PRODUCTS ASSESSED · RANKED BY HOW MUCH EACH OPENS UP NEXT
    LIVE SIGNALS
    Anxiety ripples across 3M’s customer service rep teams as company signals layoffs - Star Tribune
    Google News · Costa Rica · FDI & Investment · Oct 8 · FDI
    September Jobs Report Underwhelms, as Finance Sector Slumps - Global Finance Magazine
    Google News · Costa Rica · Economy & Policy · Oct 2 · Economic Policy
    Jeeves raises $110M to scale stablecoin-native banking platform for global payments - SiliconANGLE
    Google News · Costa Rica · Startups & Innovation · Sep 30 · Startup Ecosystem
    Mirendil's $5b valuation talks, Blackstone's student bet, and a16z's new school - Axios
    Google News · Costa Rica · Startups & Innovation · Sep 22 · Startup Ecosystem
    PEERS · TIER 2
    🇴🇲Oman58.0→🇰🇿Kazakhstan50.3→🇰🇭Cambodia49.9→🇯🇴Jordan47.9→
    ECOSYSTEM DENSITY
    IE Ecosystem Registry · 2026-10-10
    117organizations indexed across 10 types · 107 mapped
    Universities & research bodies
    63
    Research organizations
    16
    Fab labs & makerspaces
    11
    Government bodies
    10
    SEZ authorities
    9
    Incubators
    4
    Accelerators
    1
    Health research
    1
    investor
    1
    Innovation hubs
    1
    Universities, corporate R&D, government bodies, incubators, accelerators, science parks, and special economic zones, indexed today.Explore the directory →
    ORGANIZATIONS
    a sample of 117 indexed
    Costa Rica Open Future (Telefónica + MICITT)
    Accelerators · San José
    ParqueTec
    Incubators · San José
    Lima Free Zone and Business Park
    SEZ authorities · San Jose · 2013
    America Free Zone
    SEZ authorities · San Jose · 1999
    Universidad Tecnológica Costarricense
    Universities & research bodies · San José · 1999
    Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos
    Universities & research bodies · San José · 1980
    Costa Rican Department of Social Security
    Research organizations · San José · 1941
    National Biodiversity Institute
    Research organizations · Santo Domingo · 1989
    Hospital Nacional de Niños
    Health research · San José · 1845
    Nova Hub Centro de Innovación
    Fab labs & makerspaces · San José
    Members get the full directory, filters, and exports.See all 117 organizations →

    Costa Rica: common questions

    What is Costa Rica's IEPA score?
    Costa Rica scores 57.6 out of 100 on the IEPA, 2024 edition, which ranks it #48 of 117 economies.
    What is Costa Rica's strongest zone?
    Alignment, at 68.3. The six zones are scored separately, so a market's strengths stay visible instead of being averaged away.
    What is holding Costa Rica back?
    Its binding constraint is Innovation Capacity, at 48.6, the lowest of its six zones. The IEPA reports every zone separately so the constraint stays visible instead of being averaged into the composite.
    How does Costa Rica compare with its peers?
    The closest scored peers are Oman (58.0), Kazakhstan (50.3), Cambodia (49.9), Jordan (47.9).
    What is the IEPA?
    The Innovation Ecosystem Prosperity Assessment (IEPA) scores economies across six zones: innovation capacity, entrepreneurship capacity, resilience, alignment, the FDI accelerator, and prosperity outcomes. Every score carries a confidence band and traces to the evidence behind it.
    Run the full diagnostic →Talk to IE about Costa Rica →