Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
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).
37 million people suffer from hunger in countries with high exposure to climate events in LAC, compared to 3 million in countries with low exposure (FAO et al., 2025).
20% could reduce the yield of maize and bean crops in Central America by the end of the century (FAO et al., 2025).
1.1 million migrants and refugees in Ecuador and Peru faced acute food insecurity due to climate events and lack of formal employment (FAO et al., 2025).
3.6 flood-related disasters per year were recorded in the Caribbean between 2013 and 2023, compared to 2.4 between 1990 and 2000 (FAO et al., 2025).
