In a recent episode of "Pietro Habla Con," host Pietro Cercone engages with Jaime García, the director of the Social Progress Index at INCAE Business School and Social Progress Imperative, for a conversation that explores how Costa Rica is doing in terms of social progress.
The Social Progress Index shows that, despite having a much lower per capita income than the United States, Costa Ricans have a longer life expectancy. The country also ranks among the top in Latin America for education, peace, and overall quality of life, outperforming wealthier neighbors like Panama in social progress.
Jaime reveals the fascinating cultural and historical underpinnings of Costa Rica's success, a story he summarizes through a journalist’s unforgettable description: the "hot Sweden of Central America." The interview explores how a country can be a "champion at making difficult things easy" (like achieving a high life expectancy on a modest budget) while struggling with "making easy things difficult" (like fixing potholes or creating a functional online government).
The discussion provides an insight into how Costa Rica's distinctive past, characterized by a lack of an extractive colonial economy, has fostered a culture of cooperation and social cohesion. This foundation, built on a shared need to survive and a more egalitarian society, is a key factor in its high Social Progress Index ranking. However, the conversation also raises a critical question: as the country loses the shared public spaces (schools, cantinas, churches) that once knit its communities together, is it at risk of becoming a "second-generation family business" that has forgotten the core values that led to its initial success?
This episode offers a unique blend of data-driven analysis and cultural insight, moving beyond metrics and exploring what truly drives social progress. It’s a compelling listen for anyone interested in the non-economic factors of development and the challenge of maintaining social trust in a modernizing world.
For those interested in the full conversation, English captions are available on YouTube.
In a recent episode of "Pietro Habla Con," host Pietro Cercone engages with Jaime García, the director of the Social Progress Index at INCAE Business School and Social Progress Imperative, for a conversation that explores how Costa Rica is doing in terms of social progress.
The Social Progress Index shows that, despite having a much lower per capita income than the United States, Costa Ricans have a longer life expectancy. The country also ranks among the top in Latin America for education, peace, and overall quality of life, outperforming wealthier neighbors like Panama in social progress.
Jaime reveals the fascinating cultural and historical underpinnings of Costa Rica's success, a story he summarizes through a journalist’s unforgettable description: the "hot Sweden of Central America." The interview explores how a country can be a "champion at making difficult things easy" (like achieving a high life expectancy on a modest budget) while struggling with "making easy things difficult" (like fixing potholes or creating a functional online government).
The discussion provides an insight into how Costa Rica's distinctive past, characterized by a lack of an extractive colonial economy, has fostered a culture of cooperation and social cohesion. This foundation, built on a shared need to survive and a more egalitarian society, is a key factor in its high Social Progress Index ranking. However, the conversation also raises a critical question: as the country loses the shared public spaces (schools, cantinas, churches) that once knit its communities together, is it at risk of becoming a "second-generation family business" that has forgotten the core values that led to its initial success?
This episode offers a unique blend of data-driven analysis and cultural insight, moving beyond metrics and exploring what truly drives social progress. It’s a compelling listen for anyone interested in the non-economic factors of development and the challenge of maintaining social trust in a modernizing world.
For those interested in the full conversation, English captions are available on YouTube.
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