Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance was 21.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
21.3%
Change on year
down 6.9%
World rank
12th
of 40 countries
All-time high
29.9%
in 2020
All-time low
17.1%
in 2012
Years of data
14
2008–2022

Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance in Costa Rica, 2008–2022

01020302008201520222008: 19.4 %, preT2009: 24.9 %, preT2010: 17.2 %, preT2011: 18.8 %, preT2012: 17.1 %, preT2014: 21.3 %, preT2015: 21 %, preT2016: 21.9 %, preT2017: 27 %, preT2018: 21.9 %, preT2019: 24.6 %, preT2020: 29.9 %, preT2021: 22.9 %, preT2022: 21.3 %, preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in %, preT.

Analysis

The most recent figure for population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving social assistance in Costa Rica is 21.3%, measured in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.9% on the previous year and up 24.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving social assistance in Costa Rica peaked at 29.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 17.1%, in 2012.

That places Costa Rica 12th out of 40 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance in Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance and Other (%, preT) in Costa Rica, 2008 to 2022.
Year %, preT Change
2008 19.4%
2009 24.9% +28.3%
2010 17.2% -31.0%
2011 18.8% +9.6%
2012 17.1% -9.2%
2014 21.3% +24.8%
2015 21.0% -1.5%
2016 21.9% +4.0%
2017 27.0% +23.6%
2018 21.9% -18.8%
2019 24.6% +12.2%
2020 29.9% +21.4%
2021 22.9% -23.4%
2022 21.3% -6.9%

Costa Rica compared with similar countries

  • Costa Rica's 21.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 29.6%, 72% of the median. (7 countries reporting)
  • Costa Rica's 21.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.2%, 3.4× the median. (15 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 22.2% 19.4% 24.9% 2
2010s 21.2% 17.1% 27.0% 9
2020s 24.7% 21.3% 29.9% 3

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 9 Romania 29.6% compare
  2. 10 Kazakhstan 23.6% compare
  3. 11 Uruguay 22.6% compare
  4. 13 Argentina 18.3% compare
  5. 14 Viet Nam 12.2% compare
  6. 15 Kyrgyzstan 12.2% compare

See the full ranking of 40 places →

More work & labour data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving social assistance in Costa Rica?
Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving social assistance in Costa Rica was 21.3% in 2022, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving social assistance recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 29.9% in 2020.
What is the lowest population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving social assistance recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 17.1% in 2012.
How does Costa Rica rank for population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving social assistance?
Costa Rica ranks 12th out of 40 countries with data for 2022.
Is population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving social assistance rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE, published as part of Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance and Other (%, preT). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance in Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-the-1st-quintile-poorest-receiving-social-assistance-and-other-percent-pret/costa-rica/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-the-1st-quintile-poorest-receiving-social-assistance-and-other-percent-pret/costa-rica/">Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance in Costa Rica</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) receiving Social Assistance and Other (%, preT)
Unit
%, preT
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
40 places, 395 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of population receiving Social Assistance and Other program (includes direct and indirect beneficiaries)