Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a main destination country for people in need of international protection, primarily from Nicaragua.

 

US $41.4 million

are urgently needed from January to December 2024
Two women standing
Nicaraguan-born Francys (left), 23, and a friend in the small settlement in northern Costa Rica where Francys has emerged as an unofficial community leader. She is awaiting the birth of her second child but the remoteness of the community could present a problem. During the rainy season, the dirt road is reduced to mud, making it impassable except on foot and inaccessible to ambulances in the event of a medical emergency. © UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso
View All

Since 2018, the country has hosted over 300,000 Nicaraguans seeking asylum. This increase in asylum claims has placed significant pressure on the asylum system and essential services. Costa Rica has also become a transit country for persons in mixed movements, particularly in 2023. Most of these people arrive in dire conditions with urgent humanitarian and protection needs.

UNHCR works with local authorities to enhance the asylum system to ensure access to the territory, proper documentation, work permits, and fast and fair decisions. UNHCR participates in the response to mixed movements in coordination with IOM and other UN agencies and implements the Safe Mobility initiative to provide lawful pathways to the United States and Spain.

Explore the Spanish website to access additional information and UNHCR's news and stories related to Costa Rica.
View All

Populations

valDoubleCounted
nbHost
nbTotalPoc
valTotalStateless

Population types

Note: The "Stateless" category does not include stateless people who are also in other categories, to avoid double counting. The total number of stateless, across all categories, is  .

NB: 2023 figures are planning figures.

Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.

Population by country

NB: 2023 figures are planning figures.

Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.

Population by origin

NB: 2023 figures are planning figures.

Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.

View All

Financials

Budget and expenditure trend

Source: 2024 budget and 2023 current budget are taken from the budget document approved by UNHCR's Executive Committee in October 2023.

Budget by pillar

Budget by Impact Area

Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions

Source: 2023 budget as approved by the Executive Committee in October 2022.
2022 current budget as approved by the High Commissioner as of October 2022; pending presentation to the ExCom's Standing Committee.

Budget by objective

Note: The table presents the  budget for this operation broken down at the objective level. Resource allocation at the objective level is subject to change during the course of the year as the operational situation evolves and priorities shift. The current budget, reflected in the bottom line of this table, is updated on a monthly basis and is replaced by the final budget at year-end.

Expenditure by Outcome Area

Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas

Source: 2023 budget as approved by the Executive Committee in October 2022.
2022 current budget as approved by the High Commissioner as of October 2022; pending presentation to the ExCom's Standing Committee.

Budget by Impact Area

Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions

Source: 2024 budget and 2023 current budget are taken from the budget document approved by UNHCR's Executive Committee in October 2023.

Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas

View All
txtBudgetDesc
View All
Impact indicators
Performance indicators
View All
yearselected
Strategy
Strategy - Country
View All
View All

Map

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
UNHCR GIS data is publicly accessible in the Operational Data Portal