New study finds 49,000 more people living in informal settlements

Costa Rica’s latest housing assessment has added 49,000 people to the recorded population living in informal settlements. The new figure does not simply reflect a sudden change in living conditions, however. A researcher attributed the increase to a methodological change in the study.

The findings come from research by the University of Costa Rica and the Costa Rican College of Engineers and Architects, known as CFIA. The study updates the country’s housing balance and raises questions about how accurately informal settlements have been measured.

The methodological change also points to a broader difficulty for the state: identifying and counting a population that does not fit easily into standard housing records. The article presents the revised total as an important adjustment for the public debate, while stressing that the way the phenomenon is measured affects the resulting picture.