The Economy of Costa Rica
Health, Education and the Social Model
Costa Rica offers universal health care through the CCSS and near-universal education, giving it life expectancy similar to rich countries.
Human capital as strategy.
CCSS
The Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social runs public health and pension services.
Education
Free public schooling and high literacy.
Outcomes
Life expectancy around 80 years, higher than the US in some measures.
Costs
Rising costs and waiting lists strain the system.
A neighbourhood clinic
Primary care teams serve communities with regular visits.
Assuming universal systems have no problems
Wait times and funding are concerns.
Key takeaways
- CCSS runs health care.
- Literacy is high.
- Life expectancy is high.
- Costs and waits are issues.
No recording for this one yet - EconReader can read it aloud for you.