Costa Rica
Costa Rica performs in the high range across all categories of the Global State of Democracy framework, and it falls in the top 25 per cent globally across most metrics. Compared to 2019, there have been no notable changes in levels of performance. Since 1949, regular elections have helped make Costa Rica one of the longest existing and more stable democracies in the Americas. Costa Rica is an upper middle-income country, with tourism, services and trade 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 helped Costa Rica race ahead of the region in several aspects of development, such as public health and the consolidation of a national health system. It is a leader in environmental protection, with 25 per cent of its land and about a third of its national waters designated as protected national parks. It is also the first tropical country to have reversed deforestation. However, debates on the effect of sustainable policies on economic and industrial growth have become a feature of national politics, and include opposition to legislation prohibiting fossil fuel exploration (currently banned by presidential decree until 2050).
White and Mestizo Costa Ricans make up most of the country’s population, with Mulatto, Indigenous, and Black minorities. Eight Indigenous ethnic groups live in 24 Indigenous territories. The 1977 Indigenous Act recognizes traditional systems of governance, but ‘development associations’, a governance structure supervised by the state, are nonetheless imposed on communities and have been criticized as inadequate. Notwithstanding legislation to protect Indigenous territories, sometimes violent land disputes with illegal settlers remain a contentious, unresolved issue. Migration is another salient issue, as the government copes with significant flows of migrants and backlogs in the asylum system through methods such as busing and the declaration of a national emergency.
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 political participation, due to electoral legislation promoting parity, and in reducing adolescent pregnancy in the past years. In 2020, Costa Rica recognized marriage equality.
In the past decades, corruption scandals contributed to an erosion of public confidence in government and political elites. Long-term party identity deteriorated and shifted from a two-party system to a more fragmented one. Polarization has grown in a context where the distance between anti-establishment and traditional parties has increased. More recently, clashes between the executive and other branches of government reflect the growing salience of issues such as press freedom, anti-corruption inquiries and checks on presidential power. At the same time, profound socioeconomic inequality, particularly among the central, coastal and border regions, impacts citizens’ engagement and political participation. Another prominent driver of politics is rising insecurity, as opposition politicians criticize the government for an inadequate response.
Looking ahead, it will be important to observe how measures to foster economic growth impact performance in Political Equality, and how greater insecurity affects the related metric. Amid heightened criticism over the treatment of journalists, the government’s compliance with recent rulings regarding their rights will be key to the country’s Freedom of the Press performance.
Last Updated: July 2025
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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