The Human Truth Foundation

Costa Rica (Republic of Costa Rica)

https://www.humantruth.info/costa_rica.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#catholicism #costa_rica

Costa Rica
Republic of Costa Rica
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index31st best
CapitalSan Jose
Land Area 51 060km21
LocationNorth America, The Americas, Central America
Population5.0m2
Life Expectancy77.02yrs (2017)3
GNI$19 974 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesCR, CRI, 1885
Internet Domain.cr6
CurrencyColon (CRC)7
Telephone+5068

1. Overview

#costa_rica #spain #venezuela

Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverIn Costa Rica trails lead to rushing waterfalls, mist-covered volcanoes and deserted beaches. Regardless of which you choose, this tropical playland is a feast for the senses. Whether you´re following the shimmer of a blue butterfly from palm to palm, staring into the yawning mouth of a deep purple orchid or watching wisps of fog roll in to soften the jagged edge of mountains, Costa Rica´s vivid colors last a lifetime. The canopies rustle with riotous troupes of monkeys, hillsides echo with the squawks of macaws and you can reach up to the trees and pick your day´s lunch. It might seem at times like some kind of wondrous tropical fantasy land, but this is Costa Rica.

As the preeminent eco- and adventure-tourism capital of Central America, Costa Rica has earned a rightful place in the cubicle daydreams of travelers around the world. With a world-class infrastructure, visionary sustainability initiatives and no standing army, Costa Rica is a green, peaceful jewel. Considering more than a third of the country enjoys some form of environmental protection and there´s greater biodiversity than the USA and Europe combined, it´s a country that earns the superlative descriptions.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

Along with 11 others, Costa Rica signed the Lima Declaration in 2017, condemning "the assault on democratic order and the systematic violation of human rights in Venezuela"11.

2. Costa Rica National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)12
Pos.Higher is better
Value12
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
56Kazakhstan0.811
57Trinidad & Tobago0.810
58=Uruguay0.809
58=Costa Rica0.809
60Belarus0.808
61Panama0.805
62Malaysia0.803
63=Mauritius0.802
The Americas Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)12
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $12
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
63Uruguay$21 269
64Argentina$20 925
65Montenegro$20 839
66Costa Rica$19 974
67Serbia$19 123
68Belarus$18 849
69Dominican Rep.$17 990
70Mexico$17 896
The Americas Avg$16 628
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
13
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank13
1Norway29.8
2Denmark30.0
3Finland33.7
...
28Portugal53.0
29Monaco53.0
30Hungary54.1
31Costa Rica54.8
32Malta55.4
33Poland55.9
34Chile56.4
35USA57.5
The Americas Avg83.0
World Avg87.9
q=196.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Costa Rica's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Costa Rica's population is predicted to rise to 5.694 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.81. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
116Slovakia5.5m
117Norway5.3m
118Congo, (Brazzaville)5.2m
119Costa Rica5.0m
120Palestine4.9m
121Oman4.8m
122Liberia4.8m
123Ireland4.8m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
12
Pos.2021
Years12
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
45Barbados77.6
46USA77.2
47Estonia77.1
48Costa Rica77.0
49Saudi Arabia76.9
50Albania76.5
51Poland76.5
52Sri Lanka76.4
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.201314
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
28Argentina2.18
29El Salvador2.18
30Grenada2.18
31Costa Rica1.81
32Qatar2.20
33Morocco2.20
34Brazil1.80
35Guyana2.21
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
15
Pos.2016
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
123Lebanon21.1
124Trinidad & Tobago21.9
125Bahamas22.4
126Costa Rica22.6
127Israel22.9
128Sri Lanka23.7
129Moldova24.7
130China25.3
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.2017
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
64Malaysia8.5%
65Portugal8.5%
66Suriname8.5%
67Costa Rica8.4%
68Russia8.1%
69Congo, (Brazzaville)7.6%
70Botswana7.3%
71St Lucia7.2%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants17
Pos.2010
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
142Central African Rep.2.9%
143Angola2.8%
144France2.8%
145Costa Rica2.7%
146Rwanda2.6%
147Pakistan2.5%
148Vietnam2.5%
149Niger2.4%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Costa Rica's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to The Americas (2020)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Canada21.0
2Uruguay26.5
3Costa Rica36.5
4Chile39.9
5Argentina43.6
6USA47.3
7Brazil52.1
8Bolivia53.6
9Peru53.8
10Mexico56.4
11Ecuador57.9
12Panama59.7
13Guatemala62.8
The Americas Avg73.9
q=35.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
18Spain28.2
19Taiwan28.2
20Slovenia33.1
21Costa Rica36.5
22Italy37.1
23Czechia37.7
24Ireland38.3
25Chile39.9
World Avg87.9
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark19. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu19.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe19, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia19.

For more, see:

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Human Rights Watch Comments
Higher is better
20
Pos.2017
Score20
1=UK9
1=France9
1=Germany9
...
34Liechtenstein2
35=Chile2
36Paraguay1
37=Costa Rica1
37=Norway1
37=Panama1
40Ukraine0
41=Nepal0
The Americas Avg-0.8
World Avg-1.9
q=123.
Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
21
Pos.2009
Treaties21
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
2=Ecuador23
2=Germany23
2=Mexico23
2=Peru23
2=Spain23
2=Slovenia23
2=Paraguay23
2=Serbia23
2=Sweden23
The Americas Avg16.5
World Avg15.1
q=194.
HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better
22
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty22
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
4Colombia3.68
5Costa Rica4.05
6Mexico4.08
7Chile4.12
8Philippines4.19
9Bulgaria4.24
10Panama4.26
11Senegal4.32
12Namibia4.36
The Americas Avg8.45
World Avg10.02
q=195.
Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better
23
Pos.2014
Rank23
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
35S. Korea35
36Spain36
37Hungary37
38Costa Rica38
39Slovenia39
40=Bulgaria40
40=Singapore40
42Uruguay42
The Americas Avg72.4
World Avg79.7
q=159.
Press Freedom
Lower is better
24
Pos.201324
1Finland638
2Netherlands648
3Norway652
...
15Ireland1006
16Czechia1017
17Germany1024
18Costa Rica1208
19Namibia1250
20Canada1269
21Belgium1294
22Poland1311
The Americas Avg2853
World Avg3249
q=178.
Slavery
Lower is better
25
Pos.2018
% Victims25
1Japan0.03
2=Canada0.05
2=Taiwan0.05
4Australia0.06
5=New Zealand0.06
6Chile0.08
7=Mauritius0.10
7=Uruguay0.10
9Costa Rica0.13
10=USA0.13
10=Argentina0.13
12Hong Kong0.14
The Americas Avg0.25
World Avg0.65
q=167.

Gender Equality:

Costa Rica has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
26
Pos.201526
1Switzerland0.04
2Denmark0.04
3Netherlands0.04
...
60Barbados0.29
61Armenia0.29
62Cuba0.30
63Costa Rica0.31
64Maldives0.31
65Chile0.32
66Tajikistan0.32
67Trinidad & Tobago0.32
The Americas Avg0.39
World Avg0.36
q=159.
Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.Total
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
75=Niger1948
75=Suriname1948
75=Seychelles1948
78Costa Rica1949
79=Chile1949
79=China1949
79=Bosnia & Herzegovina1949
82Barbados1950
The Americas Avg1947
World Avg1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

Anti-Semite Opinions
Lower is better
27
Pos.2014
%27
1Laos0
2Philippines3
3Sweden4
...
50=Kazakhstan32
50=Bangladesh32
50=Bosnia & Herzegovina32
50=Costa Rica32
54Uruguay33
55=Croatia33
55=Botswana33
57Nicaragua34
The Americas Avg29.7
World Avg36.8
q=101.
LGBT Equality
Higher is better
28
Pos.2017
Score28
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
59Fiji32
60=S. Korea30
60=Timor-Leste (E. Timor)30
60=Costa Rica30
60=Suriname30
60=Venezuela30
60=Lithuania30
66Taiwan25
The Americas Avg26.1
World Avg12.6
q=196.
Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
29
Pos.202129
1=Belgium1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
...
55Colombia2.5
56=San Marino2.5
56=Mali2.5
56=Costa Rica2.5
56=Bahamas2.5
56=Liechtenstein2.5
56=Ukraine2.5
62Czechia2.7
The Americas Avg2.7
World Avg3.0
q=196.

5. Costa Rica's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to The Americas (2020)30
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank30
1Antigua & Barbuda75.6
2=Brazil82.1
3Cuba82.4
...
13St Kitts & Nevis91.8
14Bahamas92.3
15=USA92.4
16Costa Rica93.8
17Peru96.5
18St Vincent & Grenadines96.8
19Dominica98.0
20=Panama98.1
21Paraguay98.4
The Americas Avg96.2
q=35.
Health (2020)30
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank30
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
...
97Cambodia93.3
98Ethiopia93.3
99Sao Tome & Principe93.6
100Costa Rica93.8
101San Marino94.5
102Lebanon95.4
103Russia95.5
104Georgia95.6
World Avg93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives31. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau31.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean31, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa31.

For more, see:

Health:

Costa Rica does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Costa Rica does better than average when it comes to its fertility rate14, its suicide rate32 (but bad for The Americas), its average life expectancy12, its smoking rate33 (but bad for The Americas) and in its alcohol consumption rate34. Costa Rica does not succeed in everything, however. Costa Rica does worse than average in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance35, its adolescent birth rate26 and in its immunizations take-up36. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Costa Rica improved by just +2.8yrs in the 30 years from 1990, significantly less than almost everywhere else in the world.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
12
Pos.2021
Years12
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
45Barbados77.6
46USA77.2
47Estonia77.1
48Costa Rica77.0
49Saudi Arabia76.9
50Albania76.5
51Poland76.5
52Sri Lanka76.4
The Americas Avg72.58
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
34
Pos.2016
Per Capita34
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
72=Bahamas4.4
72=Ecuador4.4
74Bolivia4.8
75=Costa Rica4.8
75=Guinea-Bissau4.8
75=Myanmar (Burma)4.8
75=Zambia4.8
75=Zimbabwe4.8
The Americas Avg6.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.201314
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
28Argentina2.18
29El Salvador2.18
30Grenada2.18
31Costa Rica1.81
32Qatar2.20
33Morocco2.20
34Brazil1.80
35Guyana2.21
The Americas Avg2.29
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
33
Pos.201433
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
71Belize 400
72Swaziland 427
73Sudan 428
74Costa Rica 432
75Botswana 449
76Syria 459
77Djibouti 476
78Ivory Coast 477
The Americas Avg 457
World Avg 819
q=182.
Suicide Rate32
Pos.2013
Per 100k32
1Haiti0
2Grenada0
3Egypt0.1
...
32Colombia9.9
33Panama10.9
34Nicaragua11.6
35Costa Rica12.1
36Italy12.8
37Macedonia13.5
38Mauritius13.7
39UK13.9
The Americas Avg13.57
World Avg20.93
q=91.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
35
Pos.2017
Rank35
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
107Zimbabwe107
108Central African Rep.108
109Benin109
110Costa Rica110
111Dominica111
112Romania112
113Peru113
114Kenya114
The Americas Avg94.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better
37
Pos.2016
%37
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
145Syria61.4
146=Spain61.6
146=Hungary61.6
146=Costa Rica61.6
146=Tunisia61.6
146=Iran61.6
151Bulgaria61.7
152Algeria62.0
The Americas Avg57.4
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
26
Pos.2015
Per 100026
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
...
115Eritrea54.3
116Papua New Guinea54.8
117Uruguay56.1
118Costa Rica56.5
119Seychelles57.4
120Paraguay57.4
121Ethiopia58.4
122Palestine58.6
The Americas Avg56.6
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
36
Pos.2015
Avg %36
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
125Sudan89.2
126Honduras88.8
127Kenya88.5
128Costa Rica88.5
129Colombia88.4
130Kiribati88.4
131Netherlands88.1
132Paraguay88.1
The Americas Avg91.3
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Costa Rica's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #food #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2023)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Uruguay48.0
2Peru48.2
3Costa Rica49.6
4Ecuador52.0
5Mexico53.2
6Canada53.4
7Venezuela58.0
8=Colombia58.8
9Paraguay61.0
10Cuba64.7
11Belize65.3
12Brazil66.8
13El Salvador71.8
The Americas Avg80.1
q=35.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Uruguay48.0
4Peru48.2
5Sri Lanka49.0
6Costa Rica49.6
7Greece50.4
8Italy51.8
9Ecuador52.0
10Mexico53.2
11Canada53.4
12Maldives55.0
World Avg85.7
q=188.
(one of the best in The Americas)Costa Rica comes 6th-best in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. Costa Rica comes in the best 20 in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population39 and in energy to GDP efficiency40. It does better than average when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index41 (one of the best in The Americas), its environmental performance42 (amongst the highest in The Americas), its forested percent change 2000-202043 and in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity. But, there's bad news too. Costa Rica does worse than average in terms of annual meat consumption per person44.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
43
Pos.Total43
1Guernsey82.6%
2Bahrain75.2%
3Iceland64.7%
...
42Martinique7.2%
43Hungary6.8%
44India6.7%
45Costa Rica6.2%
46Switzerland6.0%
47Belarus5.9%
48Latvia5.2%
49Tunisia5.2%
The Americas Avg-2.1%
World Avg-0.1%
q=234.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
42
Pos.201842
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
28Slovakia70.6
29Lithuania69.3
30=Bulgaria67.9
30=Costa Rica67.9
32Qatar67.8
33Czechia67.7
34Slovenia67.6
35Trinidad & Tobago67.4
The Americas Avg58.8
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Higher is better40
Pos.201440
1Hong Kong26.32
2Sri Lanka20.00
3Panama17.86
...
12Peru14.49
13Uruguay14.08
14UK13.89
15=Costa Rica13.51
15=Philippines13.51
17Luxembourg13.33
18=Bangladesh13.16
18=Italy13.16
The Americas Avg10.78
World Avg09.29
q=119.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earlier is better
Pos.Total
Signed
1=China1993 Dec 29
1=Guinea1993 Dec 29
1=Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
...
77Austria1994 Nov 16
78Indonesia1994 Nov 21
79Slovakia1994 Nov 23
80Costa Rica1994 Nov 24
81=Nigeria1994 Nov 27
81=Guyana1994 Nov 27
81=Ghana1994 Nov 27
84Djibouti1994 Nov 30
The Americas Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment
Higher is better39
Pos.2011
%39
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
4Trinidad & Tobago74.5%
5Costa Rica74.2%
6Cyprus71.0%
7Guatemala70.9%
8Philippines70.8%
9S. Korea70.7%
10Colombia70.3%
11Bolivia69.3%
12Paraguay68.9%
The Americas Avg58.6%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
44
Pos.2021
kg44
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
107Slovenia61.2
108Bulgaria61.8
109Moldova61.9
110Costa Rica62.2
111China63.6
112Uruguay62.8
113Jamaica63.4
114Slovakia63.5
The Americas Avg70.3
World Avg52.5
q=185.
Green Future Index
Higher is better
41
Pos.2023
Score41
1Iceland6.7
2Finland6.7
3Norway6.4
...
21=Poland5.4
22Austria5.4
23Bulgaria5.3
24Costa Rica5.3
25S. Africa5.2
26Uruguay5.1
27China5.1
28Japan5.1
The Americas Avg4.6
World Avg4.8
q=76.

7. Costa Rica's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)45
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank45
1Canada21.6
2USA29.3
3Argentina43.8
...
8Puerto Rico57.5
9Mexico59.8
10Grenada68.5
11Costa Rica68.9
12Bermuda69.0
13Trinidad & Tobago69.1
14Uruguay69.4
15=Peru70.1
16Aruba71.5
The Americas Avg81.7
q=41.
Modernity & Learning (2020)45
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank45
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
...
70Montenegro66.0
71Vietnam67.1
72Grenada68.5
73Costa Rica68.9
74Bermuda69.0
75Trinidad & Tobago69.1
76Uruguay69.4
77Armenia70.0
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2946
2Israel4.1146
3Japan3.5846
...
59UAE0.4947
60=Uganda0.4848
60=Cyprus0.4849
62Costa Rica0.4747
63=Qatar0.4750
63=Cuba0.4749
65Macedonia0.4449
66=Puerto Rico0.4449
The Americas Avg0.47
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education
Higher is better
51
Pos.201851
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
102Lebanon54.9%
103Portugal54.2%
104Turkey53.1%
105Costa Rica52.9%
106Colombia52.0%
107Ecuador51.9%
108Tunisia51.8%
109India51.6%
The Americas Avg63.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
52
Pos.2021
Years52
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
21Malta16.8
22Uruguay16.8
23Chile16.7
24Costa Rica16.5
25Singapore16.5
26S. Korea16.5
27Switzerland16.5
28Canada16.4
The Americas Avg14.2
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
35
Pos.2017
Rank35
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
73Timor-Leste (E. Timor)73
74Chile74
75Argentina75
76Costa Rica76
77Jamaica77
78Colombia78
79Liberia79
80Kyrgyzstan80
The Americas Avg99.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Maths, Science & Reading
Higher is better
53
Pos.2015
Score53
1Singapore1655
2Hong Kong1598
3Japan1586
...
51Trinidad & Tobago1269
52Moldova1264
53Montenegro1256
54=Costa Rica1247
54=Mexico1247
56Albania1245
57=Thailand1245
58Colombia1231
The Americas Avg1287
World Avg1389
q=70.
Religiosity
Lower is better
54
Pos.2018
%54
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
64=Peru73
65S. Africa75
66=Ecuador76
66=Costa Rica76
68Puerto Rico77
69=Malaysia77
69=Colombia77
71Dominican Rep.78
The Americas Avg65.4
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better55
Pos.200655
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
56=Croatia90
56=Kyrgyzstan90
56=Chile90
59Costa Rica89
60=Laos89
61Ecuador88
62=Mexico88
63Brazil87
The Americas Avg85.3
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
56
Pos.201656
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
85=Seychelles58%
86Morocco58%
87Colombia57%
88Costa Rica56%
89Kazakhstan56%
90=US Virgin Islands54%
90=Serbia54%
92Maldives54%
The Americas Avg56.4%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
57
Pos.2017
Ratio57
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
75=Zambia0.1
76Panama0.1
77=Croatia0.1
77=Costa Rica0.1
77=Serbia0.1
80Liechtenstein0.0
81=Cyprus0.0
82Philippines0.0
The Americas Avg3.36
World Avg3.82
q=176.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Costa Rica has an adequate long-term record on corruption.

World Giving Index
Higher is better
58
Pos.2022
%58
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
42=Dominican Rep.44.0
42=Kyrgyzstan44.0
42=Mexico44.0
42=Costa Rica44.0
46Vietnam43.0
47=Iran43.0
47=Kosovo43.0
47=Bolivia43.0
The Americas Avg43.7
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
59
Pos.2022
Points59
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
45Dominica55.0
46=Poland55.0
46=St Lucia55.0
48Costa Rica54.0
49=Fiji53.0
49=Slovakia53.0
51Grenada52.0
52=Cyprus52.0
The Americas Avg42.97
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness
Higher is better
60
Pos.2018
Score60
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
...
10Australia7.3
11Israel7.2
12Austria7.1
13Costa Rica7.1
14Ireland7.0
15Germany7.0
16Belgium6.9
17Luxembourg6.9
The Americas Avg6.05
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
35
Pos.2017
Rank35
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
29Singapore29
30Spain30
31Romania31
32Costa Rica32
33Serbia33
34S. Korea34
35New Zealand35
36Belize36
The Americas Avg80.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
35
Pos.2017
Rank35
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
79Tonga79
80Latvia80
81Romania81
82Costa Rica82
83Kuwait83
84Belarus84
85Saudi Arabia85
86Azerbaijan86
The Americas Avg100.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
61
Pos.2023
Score61
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
36Lithuania1.67
37UK1.69
38Macedonia1.71
39Costa Rica1.73
40=Vietnam1.75
40=Albania1.75
42Botswana1.76
43S. Korea1.76
The Americas Avg2.13
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
35
Pos.2017
Rank35
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
13Cameroon13
14Singapore14
15Colombia15
16Costa Rica16
17Hungary17
18Japan18
19Chile19
20Kazakhstan20
The Americas Avg82.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
35
Pos.2017
Rank35
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
19New Zealand19
20Luxembourg20
21Ireland21
22Costa Rica22
23Thailand23
24Poland24
25S. Africa25
26Chile26
The Americas Avg91.5
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
62
Pos.2019
Score62
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
8Benin0.00
9Mauritania0.00
10Slovenia0.00
11Costa Rica0.00
12Romania0.00
13El Salvador0.00
14Bhutan0.01
15=Trinidad & Tobago0.02
The Americas Avg2.16
World Avg2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better63
Pos.201963
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
54Oman6.70
55Bahamas6.80
56Sri Lanka7.00
57=Costa Rica7.10
57=Russia7.10
59Albania7.20
60=Lebanon7.40
60=Ukraine7.40
The Americas Avg12.03
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better
64
Pos.2017
%64
1Ukraine25.0
2=Belarus25.4
2=Slovenia25.4
...
133Cape Verde47.2
134Benin47.8
135=Guatemala48.3
135=Costa Rica48.3
137Paraguay48.8
138Congo, (Brazzaville)48.9
139Colombia49.7
140Panama49.9
The Americas Avg45.2
World Avg38.1
q=152.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)54
Pos.Lower is better
%54
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
64=Peru73
65S. Africa75
66=Ecuador76
66=Costa Rica76
68Puerto Rico77
69=Malaysia77
69=Colombia77
71Dominican Rep.78
72=Iran78
72=Tunisia78
74Bangladesh80
75=India80
76Iraq82
77=El Salvador85
77=Jordan85
79Palestine86
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)65
Pos.Higher is better
%65
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
74=Nicaragua1
74=Bolivia1
74=Colombia1
74=Costa Rica1
74=Honduras1
74=Brazil1
74=Ecuador1
74=S. Africa1
74=Venezuela1
74=Peru1
74=Guatemala1
74=El Salvador1
74=Panama1
87Somalia0
88=Sri Lanka0
88=Burundi0
World Avg9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below66:

Christian90.9%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion0.8%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated7.9%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 92.1% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 76% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%67.

The Catholic Church may be losing its grip [... - ] At present, Costa Rica is one of the few Western countries to have an official state religion. But a poll conducted by Unimer, for the newspaper La Nacion, showed that 47% of the Costa Rican population would rather live in a secular state - up from 41% two years ago. 30% of those questioned said they didn't mind if Costa Rica has an official religion or is secular, while 23% supported having the Catholic Church as an official religion (down from 27% in 2011).

NSS (2013)68

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)69, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Costa Rica states:

The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, the constitution establishes Catholicism as the state religion and requires that the state contribute to its maintenance. The constitution also prohibits the state from impeding the free exercise of other religions that do not impugn universal morality or proper behavior.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religion is responsible for managing the government's relationship with the Catholic Church and other religious groups. The ministry includes funding in its annual budget for maintenance and repairs of some Catholic churches. The Catholic Church receives exemptions from income and real estate taxes. The law allows the government to provide land to the Catholic Church. Government-to-church land transfers typically are effected through periodic legislation. Public schools provide Catholic religious instruction. Students may obtain exemptions with the permission of their parents.

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)70

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