Costa Rica provides universal health care to its citizens and permanent residents.[1] Both the private and public health care systems in Costa Rica are continually being upgraded. Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) frequently place Costa Rica in the top country rankings in the world for long life expectancy. WHO's 2000 survey ranked Costa Rica as having the 36th best health care system, placing it one spot above the United States at the time.[2] In addition, the UN (United Nations) has ranked Costa Rica's public health system within the top 20 worldwide and the number 1 in Latin America.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative[3] finds that Costa Rica is fulfilling 94.7% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income.[4] When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Costa Rica achieves 97.7% of what is expected based on its current income.[4] In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves 94.8% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income.[4] Costa Rica falls into the "fair" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling 91.7% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.[4]