A New Study Shows the Results of the Country’s Important Investment in Education and Its Tourism Infrastructure
Costa Rica’s important growth as both a world-class tourist destination and a haven for foreign investment goes beyond its bewildering natural beauty and the perks of the slower, more laid-back pura vida lifestyle. Since the early 20th Century, this small Central American nation has taken important and conscious steps towards the generalized well-being of its population, from public education and widespread public healthcare, to a deep commitment towards ecological sustainability and conservation.
Once the country abolished its army in 1948, those resources were reallocated towards education and social security, providing the country with its international reputation as a stable and calm political and social environment. Even if the country does have its set of challenges, particularly regarding socioeconomic inequality and accessibility and opportunities for rural communities, its standing within Latin America is solidly cemented as one of the most educated and highly prepared nations in the region.
Just recently, the English Proficiency Index 2022 came to confirm what many human talent evaluators know, and that’s Costa Rica’s stand-out English level. The study, which doesn’t include countries whose official language is English, like Belize, analyzes the results of 2.1 million adults who took EF Set English tests in the previous year, in this case, 2021.
Costa Rica ranked in the moderately proficient band, enough to warrant its place as Central America’s best English-speaking country, and the second most proficient English-speaking nation in Latin America, just behind Argentina.
Currently, this important skill set, in addition to the country’s aforementioned stability and cultural affinity with North America, places Costa Rica as a favorite in the service outsourcing industry and is also a great asset in Costa Rica’s continued rise in terms of tourist infrastructure. Simultaneously, good English proficiency can also ideally become a tool towards socioeconomic development and better professional opportunities. The hope is for Costa Rica to not only maintain these results but to keep on growing as a bilingual nation and finding more opportunities for all its citizens.