Freedom of Expression Score in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Freedom of Expression Score was 9 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Freedom of Expression Score in Costa Rica, 2005–2025
Source: Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 9 for freedom of expression score in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
That represents a change of down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, freedom of expression score in Costa Rica peaked at 10 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 9, in 2023.
That places Costa Rica 4th out of 128 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Freedom of Expression Score in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 10 | — |
| 2007 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 10 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 9 | -10.0% |
| 2025 | 9 | +0.0% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 9 is above the median for high income countries, which is 7, 1.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 9 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 7, 1.3× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010s | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 |
| 2020s | 9.33 | 9 | 10 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More social development data for Costa Rica
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 36,395 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 367 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 367 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0071 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is freedom of expression score in Costa Rica?
- Freedom of expression score in Costa Rica was 9 in 2025, according to Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest freedom of expression score recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 10 in 2005.
- What is the lowest freedom of expression score recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 9 in 2023.
- How does Costa Rica rank for freedom of expression score?
- Costa Rica ranks 4th out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
- Is freedom of expression score rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Freedom of Expression Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Indicates the extent to which individuals, groups, and the press can express their views free from government interference.