Costa Rica Turns Its Reputation into Global Business Opportunities

• RepCore® Nations 2026 ranks Costa Rica 2.3 points above the average score of the world's 60 largest economies.

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Coffee, bananas and biodiversity were among the first to put Costa Rica on the global map. Today, while they remain an essential part of the country's identity, they tell only part of its story. In 2025, medical devices became Costa Rica's leading export, reaching US$10.927 billion in sales—an increase of 25%—and positioning the country as the largest per capita exporter of medical devices in the Americas. Companies in Costa Rica develop and manufacture high-value technologies that serve sophisticated healthcare systems and patients around the world.

This evolution of Costa Rica's value proposition offers a compelling answer for companies in Asia and the Middle East seeking to diversify their value chains and expand across the Americas: a country that combines specialized talent, legal certainty, sustainability, innovation and preferential access to more than 50 markets.

"In international business, reputation opens doors, but trust is built through consistency between what a country stands for and what it actually delivers. Costa Rica has built a country brand backed by tangible strengths in talent, innovation, sustainability and a secure business environment. It is this consistency that allows us to present ourselves to the world as a trusted, long-term partner," said Adriana Acosta, Country Brand Director for essential COSTA RICA.

The strength of this positioning was recently confirmed by RepCore® Nations 2026, a Reputation Lab study that examines the admiration, respect and trust that countries inspire among the general public in G7 economies.

Costa Rica scored 2.3 points above the average of the 60 largest economies analyzed. Compared with six leading Latin American economies—Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru—Costa Rica outperformed their average in 21 of the 22 attributes assessed by the RepCore® model.

The country is recognized primarily for its sustainability, quality of life, environmental stewardship, stability, safety, respect for human rights, ethics and responsibility. These attributes also create economic value: Reputation Lab's historical analyses associate a one-point increase in a country's reputation score with average growth of 1% in foreign direct investment flows.

From Reputation to Productive Capacity

The evolution of Costa Rica's medical device industry demonstrates how these attributes translate into business opportunities. The country is home to more than 100 companies in the sector, including 13 of the world's 25 largest medical device companies, and the industry supports more than 63,000 direct jobs, consolidating Costa Rica's position as a leading hub for the sector.

Costa Rica has expanded from manufacturing processes into increasingly sophisticated activities involving engineering, automation, research, development and innovation. This expertise extends to other industries, including advanced manufacturing, knowledge-intensive services, digital technologies and agribusiness.

More than 1,000 multinational companies from 67 markets currently operate in Costa Rica. In 2025, more than 80% of the country's FDI inflows came from reinvestments, underscoring the confidence that companies place in Costa Rica's specialized talent, local suppliers and institutional framework, which supports their continued growth.

Sustainability is also embedded in the country's operating capabilities. In 2025, Costa Rica generated 98.6% of its electricity from renewable sources, including hydropower, geothermal, wind, biomass and solar energy. For companies, this means being able to advance their environmental and decarbonization goals through a clean energy matrix without compromising the continuity or sophistication of their operations.

Sustainability therefore extends beyond being a reputational attribute: it becomes a tangible advantage for producing, innovating and competing globally.

Human talent completes this value proposition. Costa Rica offers strong capabilities in engineering, life sciences, digital technologies, business services and multilingual skills. This foundation is reinforced by a training strategy aligned with companies' needs, through which PROCOMER advances programs focused on high-demand skills.

The country also provides legal certainty, institutional stability, membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and a network of 18 trade agreements that offers preferential access to more than 50 markets.

"For a company from Asia or the Middle East looking to expand across the Americas, Costa Rica offers far more than a strategic location. It offers a partner with the talent, stability, sustainability and experience required to develop high-value global operations. Our goal is not simply to attract more companies to the country, but to ensure they find the right conditions to innovate, grow and build long-term relationships," Acosta concluded.