Refugees and asylum seekers now account for about 4.5% of Costa Rica’s population, a sign of how deeply regional displacement has become part of daily life in the country. By the end of 2025, Costa Rica hosted roughly 233,652 people in need of international protection, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Most were Nicaraguans, who made up 76% of the total. The figure places Costa Rica among the main host countries in the Amer…