Costa Rica Is The Third Country In The Americas For Freedom Of Expression

(MENAFN- Costa Rica News) Costa Rica ranks third in the Americas for freedom of expression, according to the most recent Reporters Without Borders (RSF) report published on May 2, 2025. The annual study evaluates 180 countries and territories based on five indicators: political contex , legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and safety for journalists .

These indicators allow us to understand press freedom in all its complexity and are graded between 0 and 100. Based on the results, freedom of expression in each country is classified as: good, fairly good, problematic, difficult, and very serious.

With an average of 73 points, Costa Rica ranks 36th worldwide, with freedom of expression considered fairly good. Overall, this result reflects a favorable environment for journalism, although challenges persist in some indicators.

The country stands out particularly in the legal field, ranking 10th in the world with a score of 85 points, thanks to a constitutional and legal framework that protects freedom of expression and guarantees access to information.

Commitment to protecting journalist

The report also highlights the country's commitment to protecting journalistic sources and progress in access to public data, with the approval of the Framework Law on Access to Public Information in 2024. Another positive aspect is security, where Costa Rica ranks 24th worldwide with a score of 92, reflecting the absence of serious physical threats against journalists.

Conversely, in the political context, the country ranks 76th with a score of 49. Although the separation of powers is respected, verbal attacks by the executive branch toward critical media and journalists have been reported, creating a tense environment that, in some cases, contributes to self-censorship, according to RSF.

In the economic sphere, Costa Rica ranks 28th with a score of 61. The concentration of media ownership in a few business groups and government decisions such as the Legislative Assembly canceling subscriptions to several media outlets critical of the government are pointed out as factors that may affect information diversity.

On the other hand, the sociocultural context reflects a score of 76 points, placing the country in 37th place. Although Costa Rica is recognized as a full democracy where electoral processes, civil liberties, and political participation are respected, television remains the primary source of information.

“Freedom of the press and freedom of expression are two highly respected principles in Costa Rica, making it an exception in Latin America. However, certain journalists and media outlets suffered verbal attacks in the last year, and the executive branch restricted access to public information,” the report states.

In the Americas, only Canada (21st in the world) and Jamaica (23rd) rank higher than our country, while Nicaragua and Cuba have the lowest freedom of expression, with 22 and 26 points respectively.

Norway at the top

Worldwide, Norway remains in first place, while Eritrea and North Korea are in last place, with 11 and 12 points. By 2025, conditions for practicing journalism will be poor in half of the world's countries.-

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