The context

Costa Rica became an OECD member in 2021. After a decrease during the COVID-19 crisis, its GDP has recovered and is projected to grow. Unemployment has been increasing since 2017, reaching 17.4 per cent of the population.

Country facts

• Costa Rica has the lowest level of food insecurity in Central America. 

• Costa Rica is a beacon of social and political stability in Central America, yet it has experienced the largest increase in poverty and inequality from 2017 to 2022. 

• Costa Rica is one of few countries to expand its forest cover in recent decades to about 60 per cent of the country.