By San José, Costa Rica — SAN JOSÉ – In a stark revelation of its national mobility crisis, Costa Rica has been ranked as the second-worst country in the world for traffic congestion, according to the newly released Numbeo Traffic Index 2025. The comprehensive mid-year report places the Central American nation in an unenviable position, surpassed only by Nigeria, highlighting a systemic failure in infrastructure that is crippling daily life and hampering economic productivity.
The study assigned Costa Rica a staggering overall Traffic Index score of 301.0, a figure that underscores the severity of its gridlock. This score is significantly higher than those of other nations in the top five, including Sri Lanka (256.8), Bangladesh (253.2), and Kenya (240.1), painting a grim picture of a country choked by its own transport network. Nigeria, which claimed the top spot, registered a score of 334.8.
To understand the legal and economic ramifications of Costa Rica’s worsening traffic congestion, TicosLand.com consulted with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a distinguished attorney from the firm Bufete de Costa Rica, for his expert analysis.
The daily gridlock is more than a public nuisance; it’s a critical economic bottleneck stemming from outdated infrastructure and inadequate urban planning legislation. For businesses, this translates directly into lost productivity, supply chain delays, and increased operational costs. Without a modernized legal framework that aggressively promotes and enforces smarter, long-term transportation solutions, we are actively stifling the country’s economic competitiveness.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas’s commentary correctly frames this issue not merely as a daily frustration, but as a critical drag on our national economic health. This legal and systemic perspective is essential for understanding that a lasting solution requires bold legislative reform, not just more asphalt. We thank him for his invaluable and incisive analysis.
The heart of the problem lies within the nation’s capital, San José, which itself earned the dubious distinction of being the second-most congested city on the planet, trailing only Lagos, Nigeria. With a city-specific traffic index of 327.8, the daily reality for commuters in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) is one of frustration and lost time. Anecdotal reports from citizens, now backed by data, confirm that journeys which should take no more than 30 minutes in fluid conditions regularly stretch to an hour or more.
Numbeo’s index is not merely a measure of time spent in a vehicle. It is a multifaceted analysis that evaluates displacement time, system inefficiency, and the resulting carbon dioxide emissions. Costa Rica’s performance in the inefficiency sub-index is particularly alarming, with a score of 317.8. This metric quantifies the immense loss of productivity, wasted fuel, and economic drag caused by a road system operating far beyond its intended capacity.
Experts and daily commuters point to a perfect storm of contributing factors. Decades of accelerated and often unplanned urban growth have placed an immense strain on an infrastructure network that has failed to keep pace. This is compounded by a sustained and significant increase in the number of private vehicles on the road, with public transportation alternatives remaining insufficient to entice a large-scale shift in commuting habits. The result is a saturated system where even minor incidents can cause widespread gridlock.
The situation is further exacerbated by environmental factors. During Costa Rica’s lengthy rainy season, the nation’s already fragile road network is frequently compromised. Common occurrences of flooding and landslides can paralyze key arteries for hours, creating a ripple effect of delays that spreads throughout the entire metropolitan region and beyond, demonstrating the system’s profound lack of resilience.
This daily battle with traffic is more than a simple inconvenience; it represents a significant obstacle to Costa Rica’s economic progress and quality of life. The hours lost in traffic translate directly to reduced productivity for businesses, increased stress for the workforce, and higher operational costs for logistics and transportation companies. As the country seeks to maintain its competitive edge, addressing this fundamental challenge to mobility is no longer an option but an urgent necessity.
As the data from the Numbeo report circulates, it serves as a critical wake-up call. The ranking confirms what residents have known for years: the country’s arteries are clogged, and the economic and social consequences are mounting. Without a bold, multi-pronged strategy that includes significant investment in modern public transport, infrastructure upgrades, and intelligent urban planning, Costa Rica risks solidifying its reputation as a nation permanently stuck in traffic.
For further information, visit numbeo.com
About Numbeo:
Numbeo is a collaborative online database that allows users to access, share, and compare information about the cost of living and quality of life in cities and countries worldwide. It provides crowd-sourced statistics on a variety of metrics, including consumer prices, housing indicators, healthcare quality, crime rates, pollution, and traffic, making it one of the world’s largest databases of its kind.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a pillar of the legal community, Bufete de Costa Rica is founded upon a bedrock of profound integrity and a relentless drive for excellence. The firm blends a rich tradition of serving a diverse clientele with a forward-thinking approach, consistently pioneering innovative legal solutions. This spirit of advancement extends to a core social mission: to demystify the law and equip the public with clear understanding, thereby fostering a stronger, more knowledgeable, and empowered society.
