Photo: Henry Zbyszynski from Capitola California, USA · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 17 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Costa Rica: Digital & Technology
How ready is a country to use, make and trade technology?
Costa Rica is placed 67th of 198 countries on digital & technology in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: GovTech Maturity Index 0.77 (2025); Government AI Readiness Index 45.92 (2025).
Share
Digital & Technology
67th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 0.77GovTech Maturity Index, 2025GTMI score (0–1)
- 45.92Government AI Readiness Index, 2025AI readiness score (0–100)
- -0.13Government Cyber Security Capacity, 2025Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
- 57.16Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports, 2024Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Costa Rica on digital & technology — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
0.77
GTMI score (0–1)
Higher is better
Costa Rica: 0.77. Across the 196 countries in this edition, values run from 0.01 (North Korea) to 0.997 (South Korea); the world median is 0.63.
- World median
- 0.63
- Best in Central America
- 0.825 Mexico
- Land neighbours
- Panama 0.762
45.92
AI readiness score (0–100)
Higher is better
Ranked 79th of 195 by Oxford Insights
Costa Rica: 45.92. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 12.12 (Guinea-Bissau) to 88.36 (United States); the world median is 40.19.
- World median
- 40.19
- Best in Central America
- 48.33 Mexico
- Land neighbours
- Nicaragua 22.23 · Panama 39.3
Key 3 of 4
Government Cyber Security Capacity
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
-0.13
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
Higher is better
Costa Rica: -0.13. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from -2.66 (Liberia) to 3.715 (Estonia); the world median is 0.196.
- World median
- 0.196
- Best in Central America
- 0.231 Mexico
- Land neighbours
- Nicaragua -0.861 · Panama 0.145
Key 4 of 4
Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
57.16
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
Higher is better
Costa Rica: 57.16. Across the 170 countries in this edition, values run from 0.377 (Gambia) to 87.15 (Ireland); the world median is 25.42.
- World median
- 25.42
- Best in Central America
- 57.16 Costa Rica
- Land neighbours
- Nicaragua 21.39 · Panama 15.63
02Over time
Which way Costa Rica is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Government AI Readiness Index
AI readiness score (0–100) · higher is better
Costa RicaWorld median
Costa Rica rose from 42.55 in 2020 to 45.92 in 2025; the world median went from 39.58 to 40.19.
Every year’s figures
Year Costa Rica World median 2025 45.9 40.2 2024 56.9 43.3 2023 49.1 41.4 2022 45.0 40.3 2021 46.2 44.1 2020 42.6 39.6 Government Cyber Security Capacity
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity · higher is better
Costa RicaWorld median
Costa Rica rose from -0.568 in 2000 to -0.13 in 2025; the world median went from -0.514 to 0.196.
Every year’s figures
Year Costa Rica World median 2025 -0.1 0.20 2024 -0.1 0.11 2023 -0.1 0.14 2022 -0.1 0.16 2021 -0.4 0.12 2020 -0.4 0.12 2019 -0.4 0.10 2018 -0.4 -0.05 2017 -0.4 -0.08 2016 -0.4 -0.10 2015 -0.4 -0.17 2014 -0.4 -0.21 2013 -0.4 -0.21 2012 -0.4 -0.25 2011 -0.4 -0.32 2010 -0.4 -0.31 2009 -0.6 -0.50 2008 -0.6 -0.51 2007 -0.6 -0.51 2006 -0.6 -0.55 2005 -0.6 -0.55 2004 -0.6 -0.55 2003 -0.6 -0.55 2002 -0.6 -0.51 2001 -0.6 -0.51 2000 -0.6 -0.51 Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) · higher is better
Costa RicaWorld median
Costa Rica rose from 36.44 in 2010 to 57.16 in 2024; the world median went from 19.88 to 25.42.
Every year’s figures
Year Costa Rica World median 2024 57.2 25.42 2023 57.3 26.03 2022 57.1 26.04 2021 69.9 29.80 2020 72.3 29.47 2019 50.1 18.36 2018 48.0 20.09 2017 48.7 18.32 2016 47.8 18.15 2015 47.3 19.57 2014 44.7 21.00 2013 40.4 20.50 2012 38.7 19.56 2011 38.5 19.21 2010 36.4 19.88
03In context
Costa Rica beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on digital & technology, never a place within the region.
Costa Rica and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | GovTech Maturity IndexGTMI score (0–1) | Government AI Readiness IndexAI readiness score (0–100) | Government Cyber Security CapacityOriginal latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity | Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsDigitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 67th | 0.77 | 45.92 | -0.13 | 57.16 |
 Panama | 100th | 0.762 | 39.3 | 0.145 | 15.63 |
 Nicaragua | =150th | — | 22.23 | -0.861 | 21.39 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Central America
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on digital & technology
The countries immediately above and below Costa Rica in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Costa Rica is ahead of the world, and behind
20 more statistics filed under digital & technology, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median13
Statistics on which Costa Rica does better than the middle country measured.
Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness IndexOECD · 2025 · world median 0.2060.0210.206▲ Improved since 2015
Costa Rica: 0.021 · world median 0.206 · Digital STRI (0 = open, 1 = closed). OECD, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.021 to 0.649; lower is better.
Position 125th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Government Internet ShutdownsV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.0231.8791.023▲ Improved since 2015
Costa Rica: 1.879 · world median 1.023 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4 to +2); higher = fewer shutdowns. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.547 to 2.081; higher is better.
Position 17th of 176 · derived.
Firms with Their Own WebsiteWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 62.3988.0762.39No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 88.07 · world median 62.39 · Firms with their own website (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.824 to 97.88; higher is better.
Position 24th of 181 · derived.
AI User Share of the Working-Age PopulationMicrosoft AI Economy Institute · 2026 · world median 15.4529.715.45No real change since 2025
Costa Rica: 29.7 · world median 15.45 · Generative-AI users (% of population aged 15–64). Microsoft AI Economy Institute, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 6.1 to 73.3; higher is better.
Share of Firms' Payments Made ElectronicallyWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 64.2289.164.22No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 89.1 · world median 64.22 · Payments made electronically in a typical month, excluding payroll and payments to government (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 2.172 to 99.91; higher is better.
ICT Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 7.47413.887.474▼ Worsened since 2014
Costa Rica: 13.88 · world median 7.474 · ICT services exports (% of services exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 56.25; higher is better.
Position 31st of 118 · derived.
Government Social Media CensorshipV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.5051.2450.505▲ Improved since 2015
Costa Rica: 1.245 · world median 0.505 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4.5 to +2.4); higher = less censorship. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.721 to 2.295; higher is better.
Position 57th of 176 · derived.
Made or Received a Digital PaymentWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 51.6560.4651.65▲ Improved since 2014
Costa Rica: 60.46 · world median 51.65 · Adults who made or received a digital payment in the past year (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 12.26 to 94.91; higher is better.
Position 35th of 98 · derived.
Frontier Technology Readiness IndexUNCTAD · 2023 · world median 0.4850.6050.485No real change since 2013
Costa Rica: 0.605 · world median 0.485 · Frontier Technology Readiness Index (0–1). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1; higher is better.
Position 62nd of 170 · derived.
Internet Use Among AdultsWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 83.0587.3983.05No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 87.39 · world median 83.05 · Adults who used the internet in the past three months (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 11.06 to 99.12; higher is better.
Position 54th of 140 · derived.
Smartphone OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 78.7880.7178.78No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 80.71 · world median 78.78 · Adults whose main mobile phone is a smartphone (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 8.663 to 97.36; higher is better.
Position 65th of 140 · derived.
Mobile Phone OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 91.6891.8991.68No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 91.89 · world median 91.68 · Adults who own a mobile phone (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 45.83 to 100; higher is better.
Position 68th of 140 · derived.
ICT Goods ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 0.9751.010.975▼ Worsened since 2014
Costa Rica: 1.01 · world median 0.975 · ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 61.45; higher is better.
Position 58th of 119 · derived.
Behind the world median2
Statistics on which Costa Rica does worse than the middle country measured.
Government Dissemination of False Information (Domestic)V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median -0.114-0.728-0.114▼ Worsened since 2015
Costa Rica: -0.728 · world median -0.114 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.2); higher = less disinformation. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.392 to 2.93; higher is better.
Position 116th of 176 · derived.
Firms Experiencing Internet DisruptionsWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 32.3545.332.35No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 45.3 · world median 32.35 · Firms that experienced internet outages or slow-downs (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0.735 to 82.39; lower is better.
Position 51st of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end5
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
GitHub DevelopersGitHub · 2026 · world median 84,670231,32584,670No real change since 2020
Costa Rica: 231,325 · world median 84,670 · Developer accounts located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 110 to 32,410,529.
Anthropic AI Usage IndexAnthropic · 2026 · world median 0.961.570.96No earlier reading
Costa Rica: 1.57 · world median 0.96 · Claude usage index (1 = in proportion to working-age population). Anthropic, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0.07 to 6.4.
GitHub RepositoriesGitHub · 2026 · world median 141,454435,165141,454Moved since 2020
Costa Rica: 435,165 · world median 141,454 · Public repositories located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 142 to 77,284,974.
Share of Graduates from ICT ProgrammesUIS · 2023 · world median 5.6016.1415.601Moved since 2015
Costa Rica: 6.141 · world median 5.601 · Tertiary graduates from ICT programmes (% of all graduates). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 17.19.
GitHub Git PushesGitHub · 2025 · world median 148,714325,077148,714Moved since 2020
Costa Rica: 325,077 · world median 148,714 · Git pushes during the quarter. GitHub, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,967 to 40,768,192.
No current reading for Costa Rica
Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching (last 2020). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Digital & Technology among Costa Rica’s 16 topics
Digital & Technology is Costa Rica’s 9th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Peace & Security2nd of 1773/4 keys
- Gender & Equality5th of 1834/4 keys
- Energy12th of 1653/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties31st of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions32nd of 1944/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge53rd of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing60th of 2004/4 keys
- Economy & Innovationjoint 57th of 1764/4 keys
- Digital & Technology67th of 1984/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital70th of 1963/3 keys
- Food & Agriculture80th of 1844/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability84th of 1864/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade84th of 1774/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 92nd of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 104th of 1934/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality110th of 1593/3 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on digital & technology
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Costa Rica can most readily be measured against.
=1
EstoniaNorthern Europe
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, greyscale
=1
South KoreaEastern Asia
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
3rd of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
Brazil4th4/4 keysHighest in Central America
Costa Rica67th4/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Costa Rica on digital & technology: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Costa Rica rank on digital & technology?
Costa Rica is placed 67th of 198 countries on Digital & Technology in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (GovTech Maturity Index, Government AI Readiness Index, Government Cyber Security Capacity and Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest GovTech Maturity Index figure for Costa Rica?
0.77 in 2025 (gTMI score (0–1)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.63.
What is the latest Government AI Readiness Index figure for Costa Rica?
45.92 in 2025 (aI readiness score (0–100)), according to Oxford Insights. The world median in the same edition was 40.19.
How does Costa Rica compare with Nicaragua on digital & technology?
Nicaragua is placed joint 150th of 198, and Costa Rica 67th. Government AI Readiness Index: Nicaragua 22.23, Costa Rica 45.92; Government Cyber Security Capacity: Nicaragua -0.861, Costa Rica -0.13; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports: Nicaragua 21.39, Costa Rica 57.16.
How have Costa Rica’s digital & technology figures changed?
Government AI Readiness Index rose from 42.55 in 2020 to 45.92 in 2025; Government Cyber Security Capacity rose from -0.568 in 2000 to -0.13 in 2025; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports rose from 36.44 in 2010 to 57.16 in 2024.
Which digital & technology statistics are missing for Costa Rica?
No current reading is published for Costa Rica on Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Broadband and mobile subscriptions, connection speeds and the cost of getting online are absent, for the licence reason above; internet use and phone ownership, from the World Bank’s own household survey, and firms’ websites and internet disruptions, from its Enterprise Surveys, are published here as context. The ICT share of goods exports votes under Mobility & Trade. Digital public services and data-protection law are not held yet. Research and development spending is filed under Education & Knowledge, and what an economy knows how to make is under Economy & Innovation.
How the Digital & Technology standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The digital & technology method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- GovTech Maturity Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Government AI Readiness Index — Oxford Insights, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Cyber Security Capacity — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 20 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Costa Rica’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Costa Rica (banner) — Henry Zbyszynski from Capitola California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Estonia — Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Costa Rica: Digital & Technology — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/costa-rica/digital