Costa Rica was ranked 42nd on the human development index by the United Nations Development Program. It ranked third in the Latin American region, behind Argentina and Uruguay.
Though the country is largely middle class, about 20 percent of Costa Ricans live below poverty level (compared with 12 percent of the population in the United States).
The government guarantees each Costa Rican the right to education and health care. The education system has helped achieve a 96 percent literacy rate (as compared with 97 percent in the United States).
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