Inflation Costa Rica 1998
Average inflation: 11.7%
Current Inflation
Inflation is very high at 11.7%, far above the ECB target.
Peak and Trough
The highest inflation was in October at 12.9%. The lowest inflation was in April at 10.5%.
- Highest month
- October: 12.9%
- Lowest month
- April: 10.5%
- Difference
- 2.4 percentage points
- Months with data
- 12 of 12
Category Insights
The highest price increase was in Education with an average of 14.6%. The lowest price increase was in Communication with an average of -0.4%.
- Highest increase
- Education: 14.6%
- Lowest increase
- Communication: -0.4%
Historical Context
Current inflation is 4.2% lower than the 5-year average of 15.9%.
- 5-year average
- 15.9%
- 10-year average
- 14.8%
- All-time high (1995)
- 23.2%
- All-time low (1993)
- 9.8%
Trend
Inflation shows a downward trend. Compared to 1997, inflation has fallen by +1.6 percentage point.
- Change vs. previous year
- -1.6 percentage points
- Largest monthly swing
- April: -5.1 percentage points
ECB Target
Inflation is 9.7% above the ECB target of 2.0%. This means purchasing power is declining faster than intended.
Purchasing Power
At this high inflation rate, purchasing power rapidly decreases. This has a major impact on households, especially without adequate salary increases.
What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €111.70 next year at this inflation rate.
Multi-year trend
Monthly figures 1998
Inflation by category
Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.
Month overview
| Month | Inflation | Difference vs. 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10.7% | -4.1 |
| February | 11.1% | -3.2 |
| March | 11.1% | -3.8 |
| April | 10.5% | -5.1 |
| May | 10.8% | -3.5 |
| June | 10.8% | -2.8 |
| July | 11.7% | -1.6 |
| August | 12.7% | -0.7 |
| September | 12.7% | +0.7 |
| October | 12.9% | +2.2 |
| November | 12.5% | +1.0 |
| December | 12.4% | +1.2 |
| Average | 11.7% |
Data source
Data from OECD. Last updated: 13/01/2026.