Assessment and recommendations

Costa Rica is one of the oldest and most stable democracies in Latin America and boasts among the highest levels of well-being. Having established near universal literacy by the end of the 19th century, its economic and social development has been and remains deeply intertwined with a commitment to education. As the economy has developed in recent decades, the education system that helped propel the country to upper middle-income status now needs to evolve to respond to rising expectations and changing demands for skills. New challenges are emerging: economic growth has recently slowed, inequality is widening and productivity growth is weak. The National Development Plan for 2015/2018 rightly sees education as a key means to turn these negative trends around and put the country back on the path of strong, inclusive growth.