90% of Ticos Fearful Of Crime, Study Shows

Eight in 10 Costa Ricans won’t leave home alone, while 63 percent no longer attend public gatherings such as concerts, sporting events or festivals, according to the latest survey to measure the nation’s flagging sense of security with the rise in crime.

The survey, conducted by the StatisticsSchool at the University of Costa Rica for the weekly newspaper El Financiero, suggests nearly 90 percent of Costa Ricans feel unsafe.

Almost half of those questioned fear there’s a medium to very high probability their house will be broken into, 53 percent do not allow their children to go out and play in the street, and 74 percent said they face a medium to very high chance of being assaulted out on the street.

However, many Costa Ricans proved to remain optimistic despite the fears. Little more than half, or 56 percent, said the country is capable of resolving its crime problems.