Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
604,000 immigrants and 1,608,000 emigrants were present in the Dominican Republic in 2020, although other evidence indicates that net inflows are positive, according to data from Expansion (Campos et al., 2024).
521,000 immigrants and only 150,000 emigrants were roughly present in Costa Rica in 2020, while Panama had 313,000 and 140,000 respectively, according to data from Expansion (Campos et al., 2024).
77th place is occupied by the Dominican Republic globally in the Social Progress Index, being the thirteenth highest-ranked country in Latin America and the fourth in the immediate region of Central America and the Caribbean (Campos et al., 2024).
49th place is occupied by Panama globally in the Social Progress Index, being the fifth highest-ranked country in Latin America and the second in the immediate region of Central America and the Caribbean (Campos et al., 2024).
37th place is occupied by Costa Rica globally in the Social Progress Index, being the second highest-ranked country in Latin America and the first in the immediate region of Central America and the Caribbean (Campos et al., 2024).
4.2%, 3.2%, and 6.1% were the percentages of Foreign Direct Investment as a proportion of GDP in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Panama respectively in 2021, well above global averages of 1.9% for OECD countries and 2.1% for the world as a whole (Campos et al., 2024).
6% and 5.6% have been the annual output growth rates in the Dominican Republic and Panama respectively since 1960 up to the outset of COVID, faster than in the rest of Latin America, with Costa Rica in fifth place (Campos et al., 2024).
$26,606 is Panama's per capita GDP, the highest in Latin America, with Costa Rica fourth ($19,778) and the Dominican Republic seventh ($16,768), at least double that of other Central American countries (Campos et al., 2024).
1.5 percentage points increased the prevalence of undernourishment in LAC between 2019 and 2023 in countries affected by extreme weather events (FAO et al., 2025).
