Q COSTARICA — Difficulties covering basic expenses affected a significant portion of the population in Costa Rica during the past year. The 2025 Current Affairs Survey by the University of Costa Rica (UCR) reveals that 24.7% of households experienced financial difficulties in meeting their needs over the last 12 months.
Within this group, 64.7% had to resort to a loan to cover these expenses, confirming that many families depend on debt to meet essential needs.
The situation hits women harder, who report a higher incidence of both insufficient money and the need to take on debt.
Educational level also reveals a significant gap. Lack of liquidity affects 31.1% of those with only a primary education, compared to just 9% of those with a university degree.
Regarding how people would make financial decisions in certain situations, the study presented the scenario of what would happen to food and utility expenses if a household received an additional ¢500,000 colones.
The majority of people responded that they would remain the same (68.8%). However, 9.4% said they would increase expenses, while 21.8% indicated they would reduce or adjust them. These variations depend on the household’s level of education and perceived income.
Conversely, faced with an emergency involving an unexpected expense of ¢500,000 colones, almost half of the people (47.4%) indicated they would have to take out a loan to cover it.
Only 33.8% stated they could pay it with their own income or savings, while 4.6% acknowledged they simply could not. The remainder mentioned options such as selling assets, combining several alternatives, or cutting other expenses.
Among those who would resort to a loan, the majority would ask a family member or friend (62.5%), while 25% would go to a bank. The pattern differs by gender: borrowing from a family member is more accessible for women, while men more frequently mention formal banking as an option.
The results show that a significant portion of households operate with very tight margins of financing.
The University of Costa Rica (UCR) concludes that these responses demonstrate a fragile balance in the household economy, where any change in income or expenses can force families to resort to loans and family support to sustain daily life.