Costa Rica on Track for Lowest Homicide Rate in 4 Years

Costa Rica is on pace for its safest year since 2022, breaking a three-year cycle of violence that peaked at 905 homicides in 2023.

The country's judicial police agency projects 2026 will close with fewer than 800 homicides based on current trends. Through the first quarter, Costa Rica recorded 177 killings, down 56 from the same period last year.

That represents a daily average of 1.9 homicides, compared to 2.5 during the worst months of 2023. If the pace holds, the year could end with as few as 693 cases.

The turnaround follows years of escalating violence driven by drug trafficking disputes. Costa Rica saw 905 homicides in 2023, then 876 in 2024 and 873 in 2025, leaving the country stuck at what authorities called a violent plateau.

March marked a particularly sharp shift, with homicides dropping from 85 to 49 compared to March 2025. Six of the country's seven provinces saw decreases.

Authorities credit a strategic plan launched after the 2023 spike that focuses on the local retail drug trade. The approach recognizes that roughly eight in ten homicides in Costa Rica connect to drug trafficking, gang disputes, or fights over distribution routes.

Since late 2023, police have conducted 74 targeted operations dismantling criminal groups linked to homicide spikes in their territories. Officials also point to a national extradition law that took effect in May 2025 as a deterrent, with 18 Costa Ricans currently facing extradition to France, Italy, Panama and the United States.

The Bright Side

The progress comes with important context. Coastal provinces like Limón and Puntarenas remain hotspots where drug trafficking routes continue driving violence in port communities.

The country still has ground to cover to return to its pre-2020 baseline of 570 annual homicides. But the sustained three-month decline signals that concentrated action against organized crime can reverse seemingly entrenched trends.

The timing matters politically too. President Laura Fernández made public security the centerpiece of her inaugural address, vowing to personally lead the fight against organized crime with new investments in prison capacity and police infrastructure.

Whether the downward trend continues through the second half of 2026 will determine if this year becomes the turning point Costa Rica has been working toward since violence spiked three years ago.