What is varieties of democracy in Costa Rica?

Varieties of democracy in Costa Rica was 0.862 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Costa Rica?

The highest recorded value was 0.91 in 2010.

What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Costa Rica?

The lowest recorded value was 0.138 in 1850.

How does Costa Rica rank for varieties of democracy?

Costa Rica ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Costa Rica?

Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Costa Rica data come from?

The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Varieties of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Varieties of democracy in Costa Rica

Name: Varieties of democracy in Costa Rica
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Costa Rica: Varieties of democracy was 0.862 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

0.862

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

10th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.91

in 2010

All-time low

0.138

in 1850

Years of data

188

1838–2025

Varieties of democracy in Costa Rica, 1838–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, varieties of democracy in Costa Rica stood at 0.862.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, varieties of democracy in Costa Rica peaked at 0.91 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.138, in 1850.

Costa Rica ranks 10th of 176 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	0.195	0.195	0.195	2
1840s	0.2111	0.18	0.278	10
1850s	0.1793	0.138	0.184	10
1860s	0.1908	0.154	0.201	10
1870s	0.2361	0.179	0.283	10
1880s	0.2849	0.271	0.294	10
1890s	0.2847	0.277	0.29	10
1900s	0.2617	0.256	0.277	10
1910s	0.2708	0.206	0.316	10
1920s	0.3192	0.284	0.327	10
1930s	0.327	0.322	0.332	10
1940s	0.3057	0.218	0.324	10
1950s	0.6705	0.564	0.729	10
1960s	0.7249	0.719	0.732	10
1970s	0.7781	0.742	0.826	10
1980s	0.8646	0.848	0.876	10
1990s	0.8925	0.891	0.893	10
2000s	0.8991	0.892	0.908	10
2010s	0.9032	0.89	0.91	10
2020s	0.8735	0.862	0.895	6

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

7 Switzerland 0.882 compare
8 Luxembourg 0.869 compare
9 France 0.865 compare
10 Uruguay 0.862 compare
12 Finland 0.852 compare
13 Czechia 0.849 compare
13 New Zealand 0.849 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Costa Rica

Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
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)
Liberal democracy 3 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.809 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.931 (2025)
Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.931 (2025)
Key features of electoral democracy 0.862 (2025)

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is varieties of democracy in Costa Rica?: Varieties of democracy in Costa Rica was 0.862 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest varieties of democracy recorded in Costa Rica?: The highest recorded value was 0.91 in 2010.
What is the lowest varieties of democracy recorded in Costa Rica?: The lowest recorded value was 0.138 in 1850.
How does Costa Rica rank for varieties of democracy?: Costa Rica ranks 10th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is varieties of democracy rising or falling in Costa Rica?: Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?: The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Varieties of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 188 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Varieties of democracy
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.