Press freedom in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Press freedom was 2 in 2016. ▬ Flat
Press freedom in Costa Rica, 1979–2016
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for press freedom in Costa Rica is 2, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, press freedom in Costa Rica peaked at 2 in 1979 and was at its lowest, 2, in 1979.
That places Costa Rica 1st out of 194 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1980s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 1990s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 1 Andorra 2 compare
- 1 Australia 2 compare
- 1 Austria 2 compare
- 1 Bahamas 2 compare
- 1 Barbados 2 compare
- 1 Belgium 2 compare
- 1 Belize 2 compare
- 1 Canada 2 compare
- 1 Cape Verde 2 compare
- 1 Chile 2 compare
- 1 Cyprus 2 compare
- 1 Czechia 2 compare
- 1 Denmark 2 compare
- 1 Dominica 2 compare
- 1 Estonia 2 compare
- 1 Finland 2 compare
- 1 France 2 compare
- 1 Germany 2 compare
- 1 Grenada 2 compare
- 1 Iceland 2 compare
- 1 Ireland 2 compare
- 1 Jamaica 2 compare
- 1 Japan 2 compare
- 1 Kiribati 2 compare
- 1 Latvia 2 compare
- 1 Liechtenstein 2 compare
- 1 Lithuania 2 compare
- 1 Luxembourg 2 compare
- 1 Malta 2 compare
- 1 Marshall Islands 2 compare
- 1 Mauritius 2 compare
- 1 Monaco 2 compare
- 1 Netherlands 2 compare
- 1 New Zealand 2 compare
- 1 Norway 2 compare
- 1 Palau 2 compare
- 1 Papua New Guinea 2 compare
- 1 Portugal 2 compare
- 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2 compare
- 1 Saint Lucia 2 compare
- 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 compare
- 1 Samoa 2 compare
- 1 San Marino 2 compare
- 1 Sao Tome and Principe 2 compare
- 1 Slovakia 2 compare
- 1 Slovenia 2 compare
- 1 Solomon Islands 2 compare
- 1 Spain 2 compare
- 1 Suriname 2 compare
- 1 Sweden 2 compare
- 1 Switzerland 2 compare
- 1 Taiwan 2 compare
- 1 Tonga 2 compare
- 1 Trinidad and Tobago 2 compare
- 1 Tuvalu 2 compare
- 1 United Kingdom 2 compare
- 1 United States 2 compare
- 1 Uruguay 2 compare
- 1 Vanuatu 2 compare
More social development data for Costa Rica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 36,395 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 367 (2025)
- Physical Integrity Rights Score 2.22 (2019)
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin 1,820 (2025)
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum 178,212 (2025)
- Forcibly displaced people 233,727 (2025)
- Self-reported life satisfaction 7.44 (2025)
- Other people in need of international protection by country or territo 19,120 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is press freedom in Costa Rica?
- Press freedom in Costa Rica was 2 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 1979.
- What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1979.
- How does Costa Rica rank for press freedom?
- Costa Rica ranks 1st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
- Is press freedom rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Based on the classification and data by Freedom House. It captures the legal, political, and economic environment of the press.