Arya News - Medical devices are Costa Rica`s top export in 2025, overtaking knowledge-intensive services after a decade of growth by the medical tech industry.
Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Medical devices have been Costa Rica"s top export in 2025, overtaking knowledge-intensive services after a decade of growth by the country"s medical technology industry in tax-free export zones.
The state trade office, the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Agency, projects total exports this year at $34 billion, up almost 6% from about $32.8 billion in 2024.
Last year, knowledge-intensive services led exports with about 30% of the total and held a narrow edge over medical devices, which stood near 24%, the agency said.
In 2025. medical devices became the leading category , accounting for about half of goods exported and emerging as the main growth engine of the economy. Knowledge-intensive services remained second with roughly one-fourth of the total.
Those services include information technology, corporate service centers, engineering and professional services. In 2024, they made up close to 30% of exports, while medical devices represented about 28%, The Observador newspaper reported.
In 2025, faster growth in medical manufacturing reshaped the picture. The sector now accounts for about 44% of goods exports and has become the country"s main driver of foreign trade.
The shift reflects Costa Rica"s rise as a regional hub for high-tech medical manufacturing.
More than 70 multinational companies operate in the country, producing catheters, diagnostic equipment, cardiovascular devices, prosthetics and surgical supplies. Many work under free trade zone regimes, which grant tax incentives to export-oriented firms.
The companies ship mainly to the United States , Europe and Asia, and employ tens of thousands of skilled workers.
Analysts cite legal stability, investment incentives, access to technical talent, local supply chains and a more specialized workforce as key factors behind the sector"s surge. Unlike traditional exports such as agriculture, the industry carries higher value added, heavy use of technology and better margins.
Knowledge-intensive services have not declined in absolute terms. They continue to grow in value and jobs, though more slowly than medical manufacturing.
The new leader underscores a broader shift. Costa Rica is moving beyond a historic reliance on bananas, coffee and pineapples toward sophisticated goods and knowledge-based services.
Experts say the challenge now is to deepen diversification, avoid over-reliance on a single sector and keep investing in technical and higher education to sustain growth.