Country Factsheet
Costa Rica
This factsheet provides an overview of economic inclusion programs in Costa Rica. Economic inclusion programs are a bundle of coordinated, multidimensional interventions that support individuals, households, and communities in raising their incomes and building their assets. The data used for this factsheet comes from the Partnership for Economic Inclusion’s Landscape Survey 2023.
Country Facts
Region
Latin America & Caribbean
Population
5.15 million
Income Group
Upper middle income
FCV country (WB FY24 list)
No
Poverty Headcount (share of population below the poverty line)
National Poverty Line
30.00%
Multidimensional Poverty Index
0.54%
$2.15/day (2017 PPP)
2.30%
Programs
Number of economic inclusion programs
5Institutional delivery (lead agency)
- Nongovernment-led
- Government-led
Geographic area
- Rural only
- Urban/peri
- Mix (urban & rural)
Participants
Number of participants
3,779Number of people benefiting
13,081Participants served by government-led programs (%)
Main Program Objectives
- More than 2/3 of programs
- Between 1/3 and less than 2/3 of programs
- Fewer than 1/3 of programs
Participant Profile
Targeted Poverty Segments
Targeted Population Groups
- More than 2/3 of programs
- Between 1/3 and less than 2/3 of programs
- Fewer than 1/3 of programs
CORE PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Transfer
Business capital
Wage employment facilitation
Skills training
Coaching
Financial services facilitation
Market links
Climate resilience support
ECONOMIC INCLUSION PROGRAMS SURVEYED
| Program Name | Year program began | Lead Agencies | Program Description | No. of Current Participants | % Female Participants | Poverty Targeting | Digital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agribusiness methodology | 2021 | HIAS | The project aims to promote the socioeconomic gains and local integration of vulnerable populations by enhancing their technical capacities and fostering income generation, protection, and social cohesion. | 19 | All (100% of participants are female) | Does not target by poverty level | Yes |
| Graduation Model Approach | 2021 | HIAS Costa Rica | The program supports forcibly displaced families in having sustainable and safe livelihoods, saving for emergencies, improving their nutrition and integrating into their community. | 130 | 51-75% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
| Human Talent Consultancy | 2021 | HIAS Costa Rica | The program facilitates wage employment for refugees by strengthening their capacity through trainings and mentorship and encouraging employers to hire them by raising awareness and supporting the recruitment process. | 130 | 76-99% of participants | Does not target by poverty level | Yes |
| Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Program for Refugees | 2023 | Women's Foundation, Omar Dengo Foundation | The program promotes salaried and independent employment in Costa Rica's urban and rural areas through educational activities, financial health, access to banking services, state program connections, and private sector inclusion initiatives. | 3,500 | 51-75% of participants | Targets poor broadly | Yes |
Only programs that have given their consent to share their program data are included in this table
The Partnership for Economic Inclusion (PEI) is a global platform that unites non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, research institutions, funding partners, and the World Bank to support government adoption and scale up of economic inclusion programs that empower vulnerable people to lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
| DNA: Does Not Apply; FY: Fiscal Year; FCV: Fragility, Conflict, and Violence; MPI: Multidimensional Poverty Index; NPL: National Poverty Line; N/A: Not available; WB: World Bank |