Inflation Costa Rica 2002

Average inflation: 9.2%

Current Inflation

Inflation is very high at 9.2%, far above the ECB target.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in January at 10.7%. The lowest inflation was in April at 7.7%.

Highest month
January: 10.7%
Lowest month
April: 7.7%
Difference
3.0 percentage points
Months with data
12 of 12

Category Insights

The highest price increase was in Education with an average of 12.3%. The lowest price increase was in Communication with an average of 2.0%.

Highest increase
Education: 12.3%
Lowest increase
Communication: 2.0%

Historical Context

Current inflation is 1.5% lower than the 5-year average of 10.7%. This approaches the lowest level since records began (9.2% in 2002).

5-year average
10.7%
10-year average
13.1%
All-time high (1983)
36.3%
All-time low (2002)
9.2%

Trend

Inflation shows a downward trend. Compared to 2001, inflation has fallen by +2.1 percentage point.

Change vs. previous year
-2.1 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
May: -5.6 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is 7.2% 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 €109.20 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 2002

Inflation by category

Food and non-alcoholic beverages
10.2%
+1.0vs avg.
More details →
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics
10.1%
+0.9vs avg.
More details →
Clothing and footwear
5.0%
-4.2vs avg.
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Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels
8.5%
-0.7vs avg.
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Furnishings, household equipment and maintenance
9.0%
-0.2vs avg.
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Health
11.3%
+2.1vs avg.
More details →
Transport
9.9%
+0.7vs avg.
More details →
Communication
2.0%
-7.2vs avg.
More details →
Recreation and culture
5.3%
-3.9vs avg.
More details →
Education
12.3%
+3.2vs avg.
More details →
Restaurants and hotels
9.5%
+0.3vs avg.
More details →
Miscellaneous goods and services
7.5%
-1.7vs avg.
More details →

Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 2001
January 10.7% +0.9
February 9.9% +0.4
March 8.9% -1.7
April 7.7% -4.7
May 7.7% -5.6
June 8.0% -4.1
July 9.0% -2.3
August 9.4% -2.0
September 9.2% -2.5
October 9.9% -1.1
November 10.0% -1.0
December 9.7% -1.3
Average 9.2%

Data source

Data from OECD. Last updated: 11/01/2026.

See also