Costa Rican social policy and its contribution to the main poverty indicators. Period 1990-2022

Abstract

For decades, Costa Rica has developed a robust social policy, aimed at addressing social inequalities and, in particular, at eradicating poverty, establishing public institutions for its implementation. Each government has had the opportunity to formulate strategies for this purpose; However, the results have been unsatisfactory. Over time, the number of Costa Ricans living in poverty and extreme poverty, as well as socioeconomic inequality, has increased. This article offers an analysis of the effects of public policies on poverty, human development, inequality and unemployment indicators, spanning from 1990, with the government of Rafael Ángel Calderón, until the closure of Carlos Alvarado’s government in 2022, contemplating eight government periods.