Primary Forest Loss in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Primary Forest Loss was 983 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Primary Forest Loss in Costa Rica, 2002–2025
Source: World Bank.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 983 for primary forest loss in 2025.
That represents a change of down 27.8% on the previous year and up 344.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary forest loss in Costa Rica peaked at 7,666 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 221, in 2015.
That places Costa Rica 49th out of 80 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary Forest Loss in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 753 | — |
| 2003 | 591 | -21.5% |
| 2004 | 603 | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 869 | +44.1% |
| 2006 | 715 | -17.7% |
| 2007 | 847 | +18.5% |
| 2008 | 1,314 | +55.1% |
| 2009 | 1,998 | +52.1% |
| 2010 | 1,106 | -44.6% |
| 2011 | 995 | -10.0% |
| 2012 | 758 | -23.8% |
| 2013 | 760 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 955 | +25.7% |
| 2015 | 221 | -76.9% |
| 2016 | 1,589 | +619.0% |
| 2017 | 7,666 | +382.4% |
| 2018 | 1,709 | -77.7% |
| 2019 | 1,432 | -16.2% |
| 2020 | 1,279 | -10.7% |
| 2021 | 1,059 | -17.2% |
| 2022 | 1,157 | +9.3% |
| 2023 | 1,373 | +18.7% |
| 2024 | 1,361 | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 983 | -27.8% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 983 is above the median for high income countries, which is 39, 25.2× the median. (10 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 983 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12,298, 8% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary Forest Loss 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +619.0% | 221 | 1,589 |
| 2017 | +382.4% | 1,589 | 7,666 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 961.25 | 591 | 1,998 | 8 |
| 2010s | 1,719 | 221 | 7,666 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,202 | 983 | 1,373 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More agriculture & rural data for Costa Rica
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0337 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 672.15 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2027 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary forest loss in Costa Rica?
- Primary forest loss in Costa Rica was 983 in 2025, according to the World Bank.
- What is the highest primary forest loss recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 7,666 in 2017.
- What is the lowest primary forest loss recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 221 in 2015.
- How does Costa Rica rank for primary forest loss?
- Costa Rica ranks 49th out of 80 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary forest loss rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 344.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Primary Forest Loss. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).