- Reinvestments grew by 26%, leading to the composition of FDI
- FDI in free trade zones outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) increased by 24.3%
San José, April 6, 2026. For the second consecutive year, Costa Rica reaches over the $5 billion threshold in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, totaling $5.1218 billion by the end of 2025, according to data from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR, by its Spanish acronym).
This result follows an upward revision by the BCCR for 2024, which reached $5.1135 billion compared to the previously reported $5.0085 billion.
“Foreign direct investment globally is undergoing a reconfiguration, in an increasingly complex international environment, and Costa Rica is not immune to these changes. However, what stands out is that the country is not only sustaining historically high levels of FDI but continues to grow and attract new projects that are increasingly diverse and with a greater presence outside the GAM. UNCTAD data indicate that Greenfield projects declined by 16% worldwide, which means that these 2025 results confirm that Costa Rica has strong fundamentals, that companies continue to trust the country -as evidenced by reinvestments- and that our value proposition remains competitive even in the most demanding scenarios,” said Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade.
For her part, Laura López, CEO of the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER), noted that “in a complex context like the current one, reinvestments grew by 26%, reaching $4.328 billion. In addition, we are seeing investment from countries such as the United States (54.8%), Switzerland (19.7%), Mexico (4.7%), and Colombia (3.7%), reflecting that PROCOMER’s diversification strategy is delivering results. Over the past three years, we have intensified efforts in Europe, Mexico, and Colombia, as well as in Asia, and just last year, 29 of the 55 new projects attracted came from origins other than the United States. We aim to attract more projects from different regions, but with the same goal: bringing investment, employment, and well-being to all of Costa Rica”, she added.
Composition of FDI inflows in 2025
Reinvestments totaled $4.328 billion in 2025 -the highest level recorded to date- and represent the largest share of FDI inflows during the period, according to Central Bank data.
New capital reached $895 million, representing an 18% decrease, consistent with global trends in Greenfield investments, which declined by 16% in 2025 according to UNCTAD. Of total inflows, 66.4% corresponded to the Free Trade Zone regime, followed by companies under the Definitive Regime (15.2%), tourism (7.5%), real estate (6.9%), financial sector (3.1%), and inward processing (1.0%).
Companies under the Definitive Regime recorded significant growth, increasing from $290.6 million in 2024 to $778.0 million in 2025 (+$487.4 million). This trend is accompanied by the growth of FDI in free trade zones outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GMA), where the country’s main cities are located, which increased by 24.3%, from $217.4 million in 2024 to $270.2 million in 2025, consistent with recent investment projects in regions such as San Carlos, Pérez Zeledón and Golfito.
Sectoral analysis of FDI in 2025
By sector, manufacturing continues to grow, reaching $3.8973 billion, with a 7.1% increase driven by reinvestments in medical device companies. Growth was also observed in agriculture (107.3%), financial services (34.7%), and real estate (20.2%).
On the other hand, declines were observed in commerce, followed by tourism, services, and agribusiness. In the case of the services sector, which decreased by 34.4%, this trend has been consistent in recent years: 2023 (-3%) and 2024 (-54%).
“At PROCOMER, we understand the need to continue strengthening the country’s value proposition. For this reason, we have implemented actions focused on employability and talent development, including the granting of more than 10,000 scholarships, the administration of over 6,000 free English tests, training for more than 5,200 people in high-demand skills, and the organization of initiatives such as the Talent Costa Rica Job Fair, which offers more than 8,000 vacancies, in order to respond to the evolving demands of the labor market,” López added.
FDI projects
FDI inflow results in 2025 and previous years are consistent with the investment projects announced by PROCOMER. Between 2023 and 2025, 175 new companies and more than 500 reinvestments were attracted, with 2024 being the year with the highest number of projects (61).
Notable investments include the global medical device company Insulet, which is expected to make one of the largest investments ever recorded by a multinational in Costa Rica. Other announcements include companies such as Boston Scientific, Zimmer Biomet, Johnson & Johnson, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Trelleborg, Cretex Medical, Medtronic, Mozarc Medical, and Penumbra, among others.
Additionally, just 13 of the announced investment projects are expected to generate contributions exceeding $833 million and more than 12,000 jobs in the coming years.
