Virtually universal healthcare, pension and primary education systems have led to relatively low' infant mortality, long life expectancy (close to 80 years), a high literacy rate and low poverty by Latin American standards. Costa Rica has also built a world-renowned green trademark and a strong eco-tourism industry based on good management of natural resources focusing on the protection of biodiversity and renewable energy sources. These successes are reflected in well-being indicators for Costa Rica, w'hich are comparable or even above the OECD average in several dimensions. Inequality is rising, economic growth is slowing and burdens on public finance have been growing. Budgetary pressures are more persistent and have particularly worsened since the global financial crisis.