total of pb processes
​

3

local government
​

3

regional, state
​and national governments

0

other type of institution

0

large cities

0

capital cities

2

Legislation regarding the regulation of Participatory Budgeting experiences
_

Embedded in the constitution/legislation.

Outstanding innovation
​_

The Municipal Participatory Budgets are the only spaces in Costa Rica that allow citizens to decide on the allocation of budget items. Specific items with a National Budget are assigned through the participation of the beneficiary community through the District Councils, which define the projects and works in which they will be invested. In 2016, a participatory budgeting process was carried out each year in the Municipality of Heredia, which had 6 annual cycles. Also, in 2004, the
experience with local participatory budgets began in Alajuela, giving the decision on development projects and their financingto groups and local guilds. This decentralization, in a key area ofmunicipal management, was well received. Over 5000 citizens participated in the discussions.

For more information:
Municipality of Heredia
https://www.heredia.go.cr/sites/default/files/procedimiento_presupuesto_participativo_basado_en_resultados_con_perspectiva_de_genero_y_accesibilid_universal_0.pdf

Municipality of Alajuela
https://www.munialajuela.go.cr/transparencia-institucional/participacion ciudadana

Principal tendencies detected
​​_

There are two main tendencies regarding Portuguese PB:

1. Predominance of multichannel approaches. There is an increasing tendency, in the active pb, to insert digital in both proposal presentation and voting phases. This shows that PB rulers acknowledge the importance of adding digital approaches as a complement to the face-to-face ones, in order to make the process more accessible and transparent, adapted to the different types of citizens;

2. The growth of youth PB. Youth PB implemented by municipalities and parishes had been increasing in the country, especially since 2016. Also, both national and regional governments had considered the importance of involving youth in these co-decisional processes, namely: at national level with the implementation of youth and school PB; at regional level by considering thematic areas regarding the participation of citizens over 14 years old.

C O M M U N I T Y

capital

San José

population

4 999 440

language

Spanish

currency

Costa Rican Colón

P O S I T I O N   O N   I N D E X E S

DEMOCRACY

20
FULL DEMOCRACY

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

63 
HIGH

CORRUPTION PERCEPTION

48/180

WORLD HAPPINESS

12/156