Costa Rica ends 2012 with 4.5% deficit, 20.6% poverty rate

January 2nd, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) Costa Rica ended 2012 on a relatively positive economic note, but with a poverty rate that has not dropped significantly and a persistent fiscal dficit of around 4.5% of GDP.

“Economic growth for 2012 was around 5%, slightly higher than expected [...],” according to a statement by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR).

Inflation reached 4.3% in November and 5.2% year on year, which remained within the Central Bank’s target range of 4% to 6% for the year.

Poverty in 2012 amounted to 20.6% of households in the country, down a percentage point from 2011′s 21.6%, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).