Costa Rica scores 80.2/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #23 globally. Freedom House rates it Free (91/100). Context: pop 5.0 million, GDP $61.77B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Costa Rica scores 80.20 out of 100 and ranks #23 globally — a broadly open press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Costa Rica earns 16 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Electoral Process (12/12) and its weakest is Personal Autonomy (13/16).
80.2 / 100
Composite index comparison
Press freedom score — higher is freer.
Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.
Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.
Academic press-freedom index from the Varieties of Democracy project (0–1 rescaled to 0–100).
Five-year RSF trend
Over 2019–2023, Costa Rica moved from 87.76 to 80.20 on the RSF scale (a decline of 7.56 points). The lowest recorded score was 80.20 and the highest was 91.24.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Costa Rica's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 5.72 points between 2022 (85.92) and 2023 (80.20).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 87.76 | 89.47 | ▲ 1.71 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 89.47 | 91.24 | ▲ 1.77 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 91.24 | 85.92 | ▼ -5.32 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 85.92 | 80.20 | ▼ -5.72 |
Full socio-economic dashboard
Demographics & geography
Economy & labour
Health
Education
Administration
All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).
Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties
Freedom status explained
Freedom House classifies Costa Rica as Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 91/100 — meaning national institutions reliably protect political rights and civil liberties.
Within Freedom House's Americas region (35 countries), Costa Rica ranks #7 on the latest aggregate score — the 82nd percentile. The region leaders are Canada, Uruguay, Barbados.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 1 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 1 of 7 (1 = best)
Political rights are rated noticeably higher than civil liberties — the formal political framework is more open than the day-to-day environment for expression, association, and personal autonomy.
Twelve-year Freedom House trend
Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Costa Rica from Free (Free, 91/100) to Free (Free, 91/100).
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
4/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
4/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
4/4
Political Pluralism & Participation
PR
-
B1Right to organise in political parties
4/4
-
B2Opposition can realistically gain power
4/4
-
B3Free political choice without domination
4/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
3/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
4/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
3/4
-
C3Transparency of government
4/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
4/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
4/4
-
D3Academic freedom
4/4
-
D4Free private discussion
4/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
4/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
4/4
-
E3Free trade unions
3/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
4/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
3/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
3/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
3/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
4/4
-
G2Property rights
3/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
3/4
-
G4Equality of opportunity
3/4
Each indicator is scored 0–4 by Freedom House analysts; category subtotals combine into the Political Rights (A + B + C = 0–40) and Civil Liberties (D + E + F + G = 0–60) aggregates shown above. 2024 edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Costa Rica see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 5.72 points between 2022 (85.92) and 2023 (80.20) on the RSF index.
How does Costa Rica rank within its Freedom House region?
Costa Rica holds position #7 of 35 in the Americas region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is Canada (97/100).
What is Costa Rica's economic context for its press freedom score?
Costa Rica has a GDP of $61.77B across a population of 5.0 million, giving a per-capita GDP of about $12,238. Its capital is San Jos������; the official language is Spanish.