Costa Rica News – Costa Rica was studied in The National Human Development Report 2013, entitled “Learning to Live Together: Coexistence and Human Development in Costa Rica.”
This report ranked Costa Rica 62nd in human development among 187 countries. The United Nations pointed out that while there is a high level of human development, almost half of the population has felt discrimination at some point.
The country has the highest life expectancy in the region, 79.4 years. This region consists of Latin America and the Caribbean. The country with the best overall life satisfaction is Denmark (7.8 out of 10). Costa Rica is close with 7.3 of 10.
The study also stressed the challenges of each country. 26% of Costa Ricans have felt discrimination because of age, 16% because of their religion, 14% due to gender, 7% because of a disability, 6% for the color of their skin, and 5% based on ethnicity. Citizens see the corruption in the state as the top concern. Insecurity and unemployment are also high concerns.
The democracy is not yet mature because there is little interest in participating in politics, though the citizens expect a lot from the government. The study stated that only 13.9% are involved in community associations, 5.7% in professional associations, and 2.3% in a political party.
The report was compiled based on 2012 figures from the Latin American Public Opinion Project, surveys, and focus groups.