UNDP and UCR survey on the perception of citizen security in Costa Rica

  • Citizen security ranks as one of the major issues in the country
  • 65.5% of people consider that Costa Rica is not very safe or not at all safe
  • In Costa Rica, the possibility of becoming a victim of crime is felt more acutely by females

In an effort to advance a comprehensive understanding of the challenges of citizen security in Costa Rica, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Costa Rica (UCR) School of Statistics (ESS) presented the results of the National Survey on Citizen Security (ENSCR), Costa Rica, 2022.

"It is not possible to build a prosperous, free and egalitarian society under the threat of violence and dispossession. Feeling free from fear implies guarantees for the protection of our integrity and property, within the framework of social coexistence," said José Vicente Troya Rodriguez, UNDP Resident Representative. "This survey enables us to understand how people in Costa Rica perceive citizen security and to propose evidence-based solutions," he added.

School of Statistics director Ericka Méndez Chacón noted that these statistics are fundamental for understanding the state of security in the country, and some fundamental details of this issue as well.

"This information is indispensable for the institutions and agencies responsible for security to do strategic planning, as well as for decision making and public policies to help the population to feel safer," said Méndez Chacón.

According to the percentage of references in the survey, the high cost of living (23.9%), followed by the poor state of the economy (22%), unemployment (19.2%) and citizen insecurity (13.3%) emerged as main problems in the country.

The 2022 Citizen Security Survey results indicate that 65.5% of people consider that the country is not very safe or not at all safe. However, an analysis of the situation at the neighbourhood level shows that the trend is completely reversed, as 63.5% consider the neighbourhood in which they live to be safe or very safe.

It is noteworthy that the possibility of becoming a victim of crime is felt more acutely by females than by males, both at the national level (72,7% versus 57,6%) and in their neighbourhood of residence (41,6% versus 30,5%).

Furthermore, 58.3% say that the country has a lot or some possibility of solving the problem of citizen insecurity, and 54.7% consider that they can contribute somewhat or a lot to this solution.

Data also show that people state that they agree and strongly agree (56%) that the Public Force do everything possible to help and serve the people. However, they disagree or strongly disagree with the statements that it is quick to detain people who commit crimes (62%). Some 76% of people strongly disagree or disagree that the Public Ministry prosecutes people who commit crimes equally regardless of whether they are rich or poor, and 60.7% state that the penalties imposed on people who commit crimes are adequate, or that justice is promptly administered and carried out (59.2%).

As to the possession of firearms, 95.4% of the people agree and strongly agree that a firearms handling test should be a requirement to obtain one; 88.8% agree that the use of firearms increases the possibility of death in cases of domestic violence, and 85.3% agree that firearms cause accidents involving innocent people or family members.

Importance of perception surveys

Perception surveys, along with administrative records and the measurement and analysis of crime victimization, are three fundamental resources for a more comprehensive understanding of a complex and multidimensional problem such as crime and interpersonal violence.

In this sense, Troya Rodriguez stated that "the importance of perception is that it gives us a fundamental idea of people's fear of being victims of crime and violence, as well as their trust in institutions and individuals. Likewise, it directly affects the exercise of rights and freedoms, the ability to build networks and collaborative spaces, the affiliation to democratic institutions and even the propensity to make decisions on education, employment and investment, to mention a few".

This survey was implemented within the framework of the Evidence based Information Management on citizen security in Central America – InfoSegura Project, with support by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to strengthen policy formulation by improving the quality and comparability of regional citizen security statistics and increasing regional coordination and collaboration on effective citizen security strategies.

This survey involved interviews of 1,222 people over 18 years of age, Costa Ricans or residents who had been in the country for more than one year at the time of the interview and had an active cell phone. A confidence level of 95% and an error of 2.8% is considered.

Download the complete study and summary infographics here.

This article was originally published on the UNDP Costa Rica website.