Costa Rica (Republic of Costa Rica)

Costa Rica Republic of Costa Rica
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	32nd best
Capital	San Jose
Land Area	51 060km21
Location	North America, The Americas, Central America
Population	5.0m2
Life Expectancy	77.02yrs (2017)3
GNI	$19 974 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	CR, CRI, 1885
Internet Domain	.cr6
Currency	Colon (CRC)7
Telephone	+5068

1. Overview
2. Costa Rica National and Social Development
3. Costa Rica's Demographics and Migration
4. Costa Rica's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Costa Rica's Health
6. Costa Rica's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Costa Rica's Modernity and Learning
8. National Culture
9. Peace Versus Instability
10. Economic Inequality and Poverty
11. Religion and Beliefs
12. Links

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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

“In 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
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
56	Kazakhstan	0.811
57	Trinidad & Tobago	0.810
58=	Uruguay	0.809
58=	Costa Rica	0.809
60	Belarus	0.808
61	Panama	0.805
62	Malaysia	0.803
63=	Mauritius	0.802
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)12
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $12
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
63	Uruguay	$21 269
64	Argentina	$20 925
65	Montenegro	$20 839
66	Costa Rica	$19 974
67	Serbia	$19 123
68	Belarus	$18 849
69	Dominican Rep.	$17 990
70	Mexico	$17 896
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index13
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank13
1	Denmark	27.4
2	Norway	27.6
3	Sweden	30.4
	...
29	Monaco	52.2
30	Hungary	53.6
31	S. Korea	53.7
32	Costa Rica	54.7
33	Cyprus	56.0
34	Poland	56.0
35	Liechtenstein	56.8
36	Slovakia	57.6
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	89.7
q=198.

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 #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

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 1.52. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
116	Slovakia	5.5m
117	Norway	5.3m
118	Congo, (Brazzaville)	5.2m
119	Costa Rica	5.0m
120	Palestine	4.9m
121	Oman	4.8m
122	Liberia	4.8m
123	Ireland	4.8m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better12
Pos.		2021 Years12
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
45	Barbados	77.6
46	USA	77.2
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
81	Fiji	2.46
82=	Croatia	1.53
82=	Belgium	1.53
84	Costa Rica	1.52
85=	Sweden	1.52
85=	Hungary	1.52
87	St Kitts & Nevis	1.51
88	Kosovo	1.51
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
123	Lebanon	21.1
124	Trinidad & Tobago	21.9
125	Bahamas	22.4
126	Costa Rica	22.6
127	Israel	22.9
128	Sri Lanka	23.7
129	Moldova	24.7
130	China	25.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
64	Malaysia	8.5%
65	Portugal	8.5%
66	Suriname	8.5%
67	Costa Rica	8.4%
68	Russia	8.1%
69	Congo, (Brazzaville)	7.6%
70	Botswana	7.3%
71	St Lucia	7.2%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
142	Central African Rep.	2.9%
143	Angola	2.8%
144	France	2.8%
145	Costa Rica	2.7%
146	Rwanda	2.6%
147	Pakistan	2.5%
148	Vietnam	2.5%
149	Niger	2.4%
	World Avg	11.5%
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 (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Canada	19.5
2	Uruguay	24.5
3	Costa Rica	33.7
4	Chile	37.0
5	Argentina	44.2
6	USA	47.6
7	Brazil	54.0
8	Bolivia	56.2
9	Peru	56.4
10	Panama	59.1
11	Mexico	59.8
12	Ecuador	60.3
13	Jamaica	63.3
	The Americas Avg	71.8
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	8.5
2	Denmark	13.5
3	Norway	13.5
	...
17	France	26.1
18	Spain	26.2
19	Slovenia	30.7
20	Costa Rica	33.7
21	Italy	34.4
22	Czechia	34.8
23	Ireland	35.3
24	Chile	37.0
	World Avg	87.8
q=200.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, The Vatican City and Sudan₂₀.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, 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 Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are Melanesia, The Middle East and Micronesia₂₀.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Lower is better21
Pos.		201321
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
15	Ireland	1006
16	Czechia	1017
17	Germany	1024
18	Costa Rica	1208
19	Namibia	1250
20	Canada	1269
21	Belgium	1294
22	Poland	1311
	The Americas Avg	2853
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery Lower is better22
Pos.		2018 % Victims22
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
4	Australia	0.06
5=	New Zealand	0.06
6	Chile	0.08
7=	Mauritius	0.10
7=	Uruguay	0.10
9	Costa Rica	0.13
10=	USA	0.13
10=	Argentina	0.13
12	Hong Kong	0.14
	The Americas Avg	0.25
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better23
Pos.		2014 Rank23
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
35	S. Korea	35
36	Spain	36
37	Hungary	37
38	Costa Rica	38
39	Slovenia	39
40=	Bulgaria	40
40=	Singapore	40
42	Uruguay	42
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
1=	Slovakia	1.0
1=	Chile	1.0
1=	San Marino	1.0
1=	Costa Rica	1.0
1=	St Vincent & Grenadines	1.0
1=	St Lucia	1.0
1=	Cyprus	1.0
1=	Denmark	1.0
1=	Dominica	1.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better24
Pos.		2017 Score24
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
34	Liechtenstein	2
35=	Chile	2
36	Paraguay	1
37=	Costa Rica	1
37=	Norway	1
37=	Panama	1
40	Ukraine	0
41=	Nepal	0
	The Americas Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better25
Pos.		2009 Treaties25
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
2=	Ecuador	23
2=	Germany	23
2=	Mexico	23
2=	Peru	23
2=	Spain	23
2=	Slovenia	23
2=	Paraguay	23
2=	Serbia	23
2=	Sweden	23
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better26
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty26
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
4	Colombia	3.68
5	Costa Rica	4.05
6	Mexico	4.08
7	Chile	4.12
8	Philippines	4.19
9	Bulgaria	4.24
10	Panama	4.26
11	Senegal	4.32
12	Namibia	4.36
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality:

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

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree

Gender Inequality Lower is better27
Pos.		201527
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
60	Barbados	0.29
61	Armenia	0.29
62	Cuba	0.30
63	Costa Rica	0.31
64	Maldives	0.31
65	Chile	0.32
66	Tajikistan	0.32
67	Trinidad & Tobago	0.32
	The Americas Avg	0.39
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
75=	Niger	1948
75=	Suriname	1948
75=	Seychelles	1948
78	Costa Rica	1949
79=	Chile	1949
79=	China	1949
79=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1949
82	Barbados	1950
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better28
Pos.		2014 %28
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
50=	Kazakhstan	32
50=	Bangladesh	32
50=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	32
50=	Costa Rica	32
54	Uruguay	33
55=	Croatia	33
55=	Botswana	33
57	Nicaragua	34
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality Higher is better29
Pos.		2017 Score29
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
59	Fiji	32
60=	S. Korea	30
60=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	30
60=	Costa Rica	30
60=	Suriname	30
60=	Venezuela	30
60=	Lithuania	30
66	Taiwan	25
	The Americas Avg	26.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better30
Pos.		202130
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
	...
55	Colombia	2.5
56=	San Marino	2.5
56=	Mali	2.5
56=	Costa Rica	2.5
56=	Bahamas	2.5
56=	Liechtenstein	2.5
56=	Ukraine	2.5
62	Czechia	2.7
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Costa Rica's Health

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

Compared to The Americas (2020)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	St Martin	67.5
2	Antigua & Barbuda	74.9
3	Grenada	77.3
	...
24	Suriname	94.8
25=	Mexico	95.3
25=	St Lucia	95.3
27	Costa Rica	97.9
28	Bahamas	99.1
29	Bolivia	99.9
30	Dominican Rep.	101.1
31	Chile	102.5
32=	Uruguay	106.4
	The Americas Avg	92.7
q=36.

Health (2020)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Maldives	41.7
3	Sri Lanka	43.1
	...
111	Azerbaijan	96.9
112	Kiribati	97.1
113	Andorra	97.8
114=	Costa Rica	97.9
114=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	97.9
116	Poland	98.4
117	Niue	98.7
118=	Ethiopia	99.0
	World Avg	95.1
q=198.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, The Maldives and Sri Lanka₃₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, The Marshall Islands and Nigeria₃₂.

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 Mediterranean₃₂, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₂.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Costa Rica does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Costa Rica does better than average in its suicide rate₃₃ (but bad for The Americas), its average life expectancy₁₂, its smoking rate₃₄ (but high for The Americas), its alcohol consumption rate₃₅ and in its fertility rate₁₅ (but bad for The Americas). 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 compliance₃₆, its adolescent birth rate₂₇ and in its immunizations take-up₃₇. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 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. Costa Rica is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 6.71 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better12
Pos.		2021 Years12
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
45	Barbados	77.6
46	USA	77.2
47	Estonia	77.1
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 Per Capita35
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
72=	Bahamas	4.4
72=	Ecuador	4.4
74	Bolivia	4.8
75=	Costa Rica	4.8
75=	Guinea-Bissau	4.8
75=	Myanmar (Burma)	4.8
75=	Zambia	4.8
75=	Zimbabwe	4.8
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
81	Fiji	2.46
82=	Croatia	1.53
82=	Belgium	1.53
84	Costa Rica	1.52
85=	Sweden	1.52
85=	Hungary	1.52
87	St Kitts & Nevis	1.51
88	Kosovo	1.51
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better34
Pos.		201434
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
71	Belize	400
72	Swaziland	427
73	Sudan	428
74	Costa Rica	432
75	Botswana	449
76	Syria	459
77	Djibouti	476
78	Ivory Coast	477
	The Americas Avg	457
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate33
Pos.		2013 Per 100k33
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
32	Colombia	9.9
33	Panama	10.9
34	Nicaragua	11.6
35	Costa Rica	12.1
36	Italy	12.8
37	Macedonia	13.5
38	Mauritius	13.7
39	UK	13.9
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
107	Zimbabwe	107
108	Central African Rep.	108
109	Benin	109
110	Costa Rica	110
111	Dominica	111
112	Romania	112
113	Peru	113
114	Kenya	114
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better38
Pos.		2016 %38
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
145	Syria	61.4
146=	Spain	61.6
146=	Hungary	61.6
146=	Costa Rica	61.6
146=	Tunisia	61.6
146=	Iran	61.6
151	Bulgaria	61.7
152	Algeria	62.0
	The Americas Avg	57.4
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better27
Pos.		2015 Per 100027
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
115	Eritrea	54.3
116	Papua New Guinea	54.8
117	Uruguay	56.1
118	Costa Rica	56.5
119	Seychelles	57.4
120	Paraguay	57.4
121	Ethiopia	58.4
122	Palestine	58.6
	The Americas Avg	56.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better37
Pos.		2015 Avg %37
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
125	Sudan	89.2
126	Honduras	88.8
127	Kenya	88.5
128	Costa Rica	88.5
129	Colombia	88.4
130	Kiribati	88.4
131	Netherlands	88.1
132	Paraguay	88.1
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
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)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Uruguay	48.0
2	Peru	48.2
3	Costa Rica	49.6
4	Ecuador	52.0
5	Mexico	53.2
6	Canada	53.4
7	Venezuela	58.0
8=	Colombia	58.8
9	Paraguay	61.0
10	Cuba	64.7
11	Belize	65.3
12	Brazil	66.8
13	El Salvador	71.8
	The Americas Avg	80.1
q=35.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Uruguay	48.0
4	Peru	48.2
5	Sri Lanka	49.0
6	Costa Rica	49.6
7	Greece	50.4
8	Italy	51.8
9	Ecuador	52.0
10	Mexico	53.2
11	Canada	53.4
12	Maldives	55.0
	World Avg	85.7
q=188.

Regarding its responsibility towards the environment, Costa Rica comes 6th-best in the world (amongst the best in The Americas). This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. Costa Rica comes in the best 20 when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₀ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₁. It does better than average in its score on the Green Future Index₄₂ (one of the best in The Americas), its environmental performance₄₃ (one of the best in The Americas), its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₄ and in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity. Costa Rica does not succeed in everything, however. Costa Rica does worse than average in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better44
Pos.		Total44
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
42	Martinique	7.2%
43	Hungary	6.8%
44	India	6.7%
45	Costa Rica	6.2%
46	Switzerland	6.0%
47	Belarus	5.9%
48	Latvia	5.2%
49	Tunisia	5.2%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
28	Slovakia	70.6
29	Lithuania	69.3
30=	Bulgaria	67.9
30=	Costa Rica	67.9
32	Qatar	67.8
33	Czechia	67.7
34	Slovenia	67.6
35	Trinidad & Tobago	67.4
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Higher is better41
Pos.		201441
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
12	Peru	14.49
13	Uruguay	14.08
14	UK	13.89
15=	Costa Rica	13.51
15=	Philippines	13.51
17	Luxembourg	13.33
18=	Bangladesh	13.16
18=	Italy	13.16
	The Americas Avg	10.78
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		Total Signed
1=	China	1993 Dec 29
1=	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
1=	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
77	Austria	1994 Nov 16
78	Indonesia	1994 Nov 21
79	Slovakia	1994 Nov 23
80	Costa Rica	1994 Nov 24
81=	Nigeria	1994 Nov 27
81=	Guyana	1994 Nov 27
81=	Ghana	1994 Nov 27
84	Djibouti	1994 Nov 30
	The Americas Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better40
Pos.		2011 %40
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
6	Cyprus	71.0%
7	Guatemala	70.9%
8	Philippines	70.8%
9	S. Korea	70.7%
10	Colombia	70.3%
11	Bolivia	69.3%
12	Paraguay	68.9%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better45
Pos.		2021 kg45
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
107	Slovenia	61.2
108	Bulgaria	61.8
109	Moldova	61.9
110	Costa Rica	62.2
111	China	63.6
112	Uruguay	62.8
113	Jamaica	63.4
114	Slovakia	63.5
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better42
Pos.		2023 Score42
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
21=	Poland	5.4
22	Austria	5.4
23	Bulgaria	5.3
24	Costa Rica	5.3
25	S. Africa	5.2
26	Uruguay	5.1
27	China	5.1
28	Japan	5.1
	The Americas Avg	4.6
	World Avg	4.8
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)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Canada	21.9
2	USA	28.2
3	Argentina	43.6
	...
8	Puerto Rico	57.5
9	Mexico	60.7
10	Uruguay	66.8
11	Costa Rica	68.0
12=	Peru	68.5
12=	Grenada	68.5
14	Bermuda	69.0
15	Trinidad & Tobago	71.4
16	Aruba	71.5
	The Americas Avg	81.3
q=41.

Modernity & Learning (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Finland	7.7
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	14.7
	...
70	Montenegro	66.3
71	Uruguay	66.8
72	Vietnam	67.5
73	Costa Rica	68.0
74=	Peru	68.5
74=	Grenada	68.5
76	Bermuda	69.0
77	Azerbaijan	69.4
	World Avg	82.7
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2947
2	Israel	4.1147
3	Japan	3.5847
	...
59	UAE	0.4948
60=	Uganda	0.4849
60=	Cyprus	0.4850
62	Costa Rica	0.4748
63=	Qatar	0.4751
63=	Cuba	0.4750
65	Macedonia	0.4450
66=	Puerto Rico	0.4450
	The Americas Avg	0.47
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better52
Pos.		201852
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
102	Lebanon	54.9%
103	Portugal	54.2%
104	Turkey	53.1%
105	Costa Rica	52.9%
106	Colombia	52.0%
107	Ecuador	51.9%
108	Tunisia	51.8%
109	India	51.6%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better53
Pos.		2021 Years53
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
21	Malta	16.8
22	Uruguay	16.8
23	Chile	16.7
24	Costa Rica	16.5
25	Singapore	16.5
26	S. Korea	16.5
27	Switzerland	16.5
28	Canada	16.4
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
73	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	73
74	Chile	74
75	Argentina	75
76	Costa Rica	76
77	Jamaica	77
78	Colombia	78
79	Liberia	79
80	Kyrgyzstan	80
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better54
Pos.		2015 Score54
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
51	Trinidad & Tobago	1269
52	Moldova	1264
53	Montenegro	1256
54=	Costa Rica	1247
54=	Mexico	1247
56	Albania	1245
57=	Thailand	1245
58	Colombia	1231
	The Americas Avg	1287
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better55
Pos.		2018 %55
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
64=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68	Puerto Rico	77
69=	Malaysia	77
69=	Colombia	77
71	Dominican Rep.	78
	The Americas Avg	65.4
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better56
Pos.		200656
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
56=	Croatia	90
56=	Kyrgyzstan	90
56=	Chile	90
59	Costa Rica	89
60=	Laos	89
61	Ecuador	88
62=	Mexico	88
63	Brazil	87
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better57
Pos.		201657
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
85=	Seychelles	58%
86	Morocco	58%
87	Colombia	57%
88	Costa Rica	56%
89	Kazakhstan	56%
90=	US Virgin Islands	54%
90=	Serbia	54%
92	Maldives	54%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better58
Pos.		2017 Ratio58
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
75=	Zambia	0.1
76	Panama	0.1
77=	Croatia	0.1
77=	Costa Rica	0.1
77=	Serbia	0.1
80	Liechtenstein	0.0
81=	Cyprus	0.0
82	Philippines	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better59
Pos.		202459
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
58	Kazakhstan	47.6%
59	Indonesia	47.5%
60	India	47.0%
61	Costa Rica	46.9%
62	Albania	46.7%
63	Azerbaijan	46.0%
64	Macedonia	45.7%
65	Moldova	45.5%
	The Americas Avg	44.7%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

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

World Giving Index Higher is better60
Pos.		2022 %60
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
42=	Dominican Rep.	44.0
42=	Kyrgyzstan	44.0
42=	Mexico	44.0
42=	Costa Rica	44.0
46	Vietnam	43.0
47=	Iran	43.0
47=	Kosovo	43.0
47=	Bolivia	43.0
	The Americas Avg	43.7
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better61
Pos.		2022 Points61
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
45	Dominica	55.0
46=	Poland	55.0
46=	St Lucia	55.0
48	Costa Rica	54.0
49=	Fiji	53.0
49=	Slovakia	53.0
51	Grenada	52.0
52=	Cyprus	52.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better62
Pos.		2018 Score62
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
10	Australia	7.3
11	Israel	7.2
12	Austria	7.1
13	Costa Rica	7.1
14	Ireland	7.0
15	Germany	7.0
16	Belgium	6.9
17	Luxembourg	6.9
	The Americas Avg	6.05
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
29	Singapore	29
30	Spain	30
31	Romania	31
32	Costa Rica	32
33	Serbia	33
34	S. Korea	34
35	New Zealand	35
36	Belize	36
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
79	Tonga	79
80	Latvia	80
81	Romania	81
82	Costa Rica	82
83	Kuwait	83
84	Belarus	84
85	Saudi Arabia	85
86	Azerbaijan	86
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better63
Pos.		2023 Score63
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
36	Lithuania	1.67
37	UK	1.69
38	Macedonia	1.71
39	Costa Rica	1.73
40=	Vietnam	1.75
40=	Albania	1.75
42	Botswana	1.76
43	S. Korea	1.76
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
13	Cameroon	13
14	Singapore	14
15	Colombia	15
16	Costa Rica	16
17	Hungary	17
18	Japan	18
19	Chile	19
20	Kazakhstan	20
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
19	New Zealand	19
20	Luxembourg	20
21	Ireland	21
22	Costa Rica	22
23	Thailand	23
24	Poland	24
25	S. Africa	25
26	Chile	26
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better64
Pos.		2019 Score64
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
8	Benin	0.00
9	Mauritania	0.00
10	Slovenia	0.00
11	Costa Rica	0.00
12	Romania	0.00
13	El Salvador	0.00
14	Bhutan	0.01
15=	Trinidad & Tobago	0.02
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better65
Pos.		201965
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
54	Oman	6.70
55	Bahamas	6.80
56	Sri Lanka	7.00
57=	Costa Rica	7.10
57=	Russia	7.10
59	Albania	7.20
60=	Lebanon	7.40
60=	Ukraine	7.40
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better66
Pos.		2023 %66
1	Slovakia	24.1%67
2	Slovenia	24.3%67
3	Belarus	24.4%68
	...
149	Paraguay	45.1%69
150	Comoros	45.3%70
151	Nicaragua	46.2%70
152	Costa Rica	46.7%71
153	Honduras	48.2%72
154	Guatemala	48.3%70
155=	Panama	48.9%71
155=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	48.9%73
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

11. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)55
Pos.		Lower is better %55
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
64=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68	Puerto Rico	77
69=	Malaysia	77
69=	Colombia	77
71	Dominican Rep.	78
72=	Iran	78
72=	Tunisia	78
74	Bangladesh	80
75=	India	80
76	Iraq	82
77=	El Salvador	85
77=	Jordan	85
79	Palestine	86
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)74
Pos.		Higher is better %74
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
74=	Nicaragua	1
74=	Bolivia	1
74=	Colombia	1
74=	Costa Rica	1
74=	Honduras	1
74=	Brazil	1
74=	Ecuador	1
74=	S. Africa	1
74=	Venezuela	1
74=	Peru	1
74=	Guatemala	1
74=	El Salvador	1
74=	Panama	1
87	Somalia	0
88=	Sri Lanka	0
88=	Burundi	0
	World Avg	9.9
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 below₇₅:

Christian	90.9%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.8%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	7.9%

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:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree

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%₇₆.

“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)₇₇

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₇₈, 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)₇₉

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?