The new platform makes Costa Rica the fourth country in Latin America and the Caribbean to have official statistics on the social and solidarity economy sector

After two years of joint work between the Directorate of Social and Solidarity Economy of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) of Costa Rica and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the MTSS officially launched its Observatory of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), a platform designed to measure the size of the sector and generate useful evidence for decision-making.

The launch took place on Tuesday, July 15, in the presence of national authorities and representatives of the sector, marking a milestone in the country's development agenda. Costa Rica thus joins Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador as the only countries in the region that have an official tool of this kind for the sector.

"This Observatory emerges in an international context of recognition of the social and solidarity economy as an alternative model of economic and social development. For the first time, we will have clear and systematized data on the sector to plan, budget, and generate effective public policies," emphasized Andrés Romero, Minister of Labor and Social Security.

According to figures from the Ministry, the SSE sector in Costa Rica includes more than 27,400 organizations, including cooperatives, development associations, and other legal entities recognized by decree. These entities comprise around 1.6 million members, representing approximately 30% of the Costa Rican population.

The tool will make it possible to answer key questions for policy design: How many organizations exist? Where are they located? What types of entities are they? How many people are involved? It will also facilitate the work of public administration, academia, and sector organizations by providing evidence to define strategies with evaluability criteria and budgetary efficiency.

From ECLAC, Executive Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs emphasized that the Observatory reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the SSE as a driver of inclusive development.

"We recognize the potential of the SSE as a means to advance more effectively toward comprehensive development and the well-being of the population. This tool enables us to quantify its contribution to overcoming development traps and to design better public policies based on accurate and up-to-date information," he stated.

This progress is part of the global momentum the SSE has gained. In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution for its promotion, recognizing its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With the creation of the Observatory, Costa Rica takes a firm step toward the development of the sector, consolidating a tool that becomes a permanent part of its institutional framework.

You can access the Observatory at the following link: https://www.mtss.go.cr/observatorio/