Democracy Index in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Democracy Index was 10 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Costa Rica, 1838–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, democracy index in Costa Rica stood at 10. That is the highest value across all 181 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Costa Rica peaked at 10 in 1953 and was at its lowest, -4, in 1838.
Costa Rica ranks 1st of 167 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 2 |
| 1840s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 10 |
| 1850s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 10 |
| 1860s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 10 |
| 1870s | -4 | -4 | -4 | 10 |
| 1880s | -1.5 | -4 | 1 | 10 |
| 1890s | 6.8 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
| 1900s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 1910s | 4.7 | -3 | 8 | 10 |
| 1920s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 1930s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 1940s | 5.3 | 4 | 9 | 10 |
| 1950s | 9.7 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| 1960s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1970s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1980s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 1990s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 1 Australia 10 compare
- 1 Austria 10 compare
- 1 Canada 10 compare
- 1 Cape Verde 10 compare
- 1 Chile 10 compare
- 1 Cyprus 10 compare
- 1 Denmark 10 compare
- 1 Finland 10 compare
- 1 France 10 compare
- 1 Germany 10 compare
- 1 Greece 10 compare
- 1 Hungary 10 compare
- 1 Ireland 10 compare
- 1 Italy 10 compare
- 1 Japan 10 compare
- 1 Lithuania 10 compare
- 1 Luxembourg 10 compare
- 1 Mauritius 10 compare
- 1 Mongolia 10 compare
- 1 Netherlands 10 compare
- 1 New Zealand 10 compare
- 1 Norway 10 compare
- 1 Poland 10 compare
- 1 Portugal 10 compare
- 1 Slovakia 10 compare
- 1 Slovenia 10 compare
- 1 Spain 10 compare
- 1 Sweden 10 compare
- 1 Switzerland 10 compare
- 1 Taiwan 10 compare
- 1 Uruguay 10 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)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.809 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.862 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.915 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.922 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.862 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 3 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Costa Rica?
- Democracy index in Costa Rica was 10 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy index recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 10 in 1953.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was -4 in 1838.
- How does Costa Rica rank for democracy index?
- Costa Rica ranks 1st out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 181 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).