Costa Rica
Costa Rica performs in the high range across all four main categories of democracy. It scores in the top 25 per cent globally across all metrics, except for Electoral Participation. Compared to 2018, there have been no notable changes in levels of performance. Costa Rica is an upper middle-income country, with tourism and high-tech exports as the leading sectors.
Costa Rica gained independence from Spain in 1821. In 1948, it became one of the few countries in the world without a standing army, choosing to instead invest resources in environmental protection, education and health. This decision has helped Costa Rica race ahead of the region in several measures of development. This approach has contributed to improved public health and primary care in rural regions and the consolidation of a national health system. It is a leader in environmental protection, with 25 per cent of its land designated as protected national parks. It is also the first tropical country to have reversed deforestation. Since 1949, regular elections have taken place every four years, making Costa Rica one of the longest existing and more stable democracies in the Americas.
White and Mestizo Costa Ricans make up the majority of the country’s population, with Mulatto, Indigenous, and Black minorities. Eight Indigenous ethnic groups live in 24 Indigenous territories. While the 1977 Indigenous Act recognized the right to be governed through traditional systems, the imposition of “development associations” as a form of governance has been criticized as inadequate. Notwithstanding legislation to protect Indigenous territories, sometimes violent land disputes with illegal settlers remains a contentious, unresolved issue. Recently, migration has become another salient issue as the government copes with significant flows of migrants and asylum seekers through methods such as busing and the declaration of a national emergency. Backlogs in the asylum system and a rise in food insecurity have contributed to xenophobic protests and disinformation.
Costa Rica has a comprehensive legal framework to ensure gender equality and address gender-based violence, yet the latter remains a significant challenge. Progress has been made in women’s representation in Congress, which nears parity, and in reducing adolescent pregnancy in the past years. In 2020, Costa Rica recognized marriage equality. Further, despite high levels of government social expenditure, inequality and poverty have increased since the mid-1990s.
In the past years, corruption scandals have contributed to an erosion of public confidence in government, political elites and the media. Long term party identity has deteriorated and shifted from a two-party system to a more fragmented one. Democratic dissatisfaction and apathy have grown, reflected in declining voter turnout. Further, polarization is growing in a context where the distance between new, anti-establishment and traditional political parties has increased, as illustrated during the 2022 election. At the same time, socioeconomic inequality among the central, coastal and border regions impacts citizens’ engagement and political participation.
Looking ahead, it will be important to observe how inequality and perceptions of corruption continue to impact satisfaction with democratic institutions, particularly regarding Participation. In addition, although Freedom of the Press scores are amongst the highest in the continent, trust in media is in decline. Finally, it will also be important to watch how implementation of commitments related to Indigenous Peoples and other marginalized communities, such as asylum seekers, may impact performance in Rights.
Last Updated: June 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
March 2025
President protests against the judiciary, calls for top prosecutor to resign
On 18 March, President Rodrigo Chaves took part in a demonstration against the Judiciary, and particularly against top Prosecutor Carlo Díaz (his post is structurally part of the Judiciary). The President and his followers, which according to Chaves were about 15,000 people, called for Díaz’s resignation. Chaves, who claims Díaz has pursued politically motivated prosecutions against him, also characterized the Judiciary and legislative branches as corrupt during the mobilization. Chaves is being investigated criminally in several cases, including for alleged illegal campaign financing and alleged influence peddling. Although the Prosecutor cannot be dismissed by President Chaves (only the Plenary of the Supreme Court can do so), analysts have characterized the protest as unprecedented and an attack on the separation of powers in Costa Rica.
Sources: Q Costa Rica, El País, Delfino CR
June 2024
Presidential initiative proposes changes to Comptroller General’s powers
President Rodrigo Chaves presented an initiative to reform legislation governing the Office of the Comptroller General. According to Chaves, the changes to the relevant provisions, presented as part of the wider initiative Bill 24.364, also known as the “Jaguar Law”, would streamline processes and promote efficiency. According to critics and the Comptroller General, such amendments will result in the weakening of the Comptroller’s oversight and enforcement capabilities. The Comptroller General has stressed that changes to its functions for oversight over public funds would enable the government to enter into contracts without public tenders, preventing it from assessing the legality of contracting processes before their execution.
Chaves presented the initiative in Congress, asking the legislature to call a referendum.
Sources: Latinamericanpost, El Pais, La Nación, El Observador (1), Deutsche Welle, El Observador (2)
February 2024
Costa Rica holds municipal elections
On 4 February, Costa Rica held subnational elections of authorities from its 84 municipalities and 492 districts. Despite voting being mandatory in Costa Rica (albeit, with no sanctions for not voting), turnout was particularly low at 31 per cent (the lowest turnout since 2010), and five percentage points less than in the previous subnational process.
This was the first time that measures to ensure gender parity in the lists of candidacies (both for single-seat constituencies and proportional representation) were implemented.
Significantly, the Electoral Tribunal’s President expressed concern over the aggressive disinformation campaign targeting members of the Tribunal and aiming to prevent elections from taking place, an issue also highlighted by an OAS electoral observation mission. According to the latter, multiple stakeholders agreed in their concern over the risk of illicit funding of campaigns, given organized crime’s increased presence in the country.
Sources: Organization of American States, El Pais, International IDEA
September 2023
Government declares national emergency over increased migration
President Rodrigo Chaves signed a national emergency decree over increased numbers of migrants crossing into Costa Rica on their way to the United States. According to government data, so far in 2023, 320,110 people have crossed into Costa Rica through Paso Canoas, bordering Panama. Costa Rica’s southern border had received nearly 84,500 people in August, more than double the previous month. Clashes between migrants and police agents preceded the announcement of this measure, as tension with residents of bordering cities and towns grew. According to the government, the national emergency declaration will enable it to allocate sufficient funds and take necessary administrative measures to ensure the safe transit of migrants.
Sources: Presidencia de Costa Rica, Deutsche Welle, British Broadcasting Corporation, Cable News Network
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