crime statistics

Unfortunately, crime is increasing in Costa Rica and tourists are frequent victims.  While petty theft is the main problem, armed robberies have been known...

Costa Rica registered 569 homicides in 2020, representing a slight increase over the previous year, according to preliminary data provided by Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ). 

Despite the reduction in homicides, the 2019 data still works out to about 11.2 homicides per 100,000 occupants in Costa Rica.

The National Police received 2,512 complaints for property crimes during the first half of this year, representing a 13.6 percent drop from the same period of 2016.

The Judicial Investigation Police this week reported they have recorded 555 murders this year, just two less than the total number of homicides recorded in 2015. Crime figures last year prompted OIJ to declare 2015 as Costa Rica's most violent year in record.

A spike in violent crimes and robberies in Costa Rica’s Northern Zone prompted Public Security Minister Gustavo Mata Vega on Friday to promise local residents an increased police presence in the area.

Two Costa Rican lawmakers want to fine small-time thieves instead of jailing them as a way to reduce pressure on the country's overcrowded prisons. Their draft bill calls for eliminating prison penalties for theft under ₡200,000.

In 2000, a total of 841 cases were resolved by a single court, meaning they ended without any appeals to higher courts. But that number dropped to 486 by 2013, according to the report.

Last year was a rough one for Costa Rica when it came to crime. No where was this more clear than the dramatic increases in homicides and burglaries of homes, according to the Judicial Investigation Police’s (OIJ) 2014 annual report released Monday. Homicides spiked across the country by 14.6 percent – more than any other crime – with 471 people killed during 2014.

Costa Rica’s Red Cross reported that 79 people died by accidents and other violent causes in the first 19 days of this month. That exceeds by 27 the number of deaths registered in the same period last year, when the Red Cross reported 52 deaths.