Who runs local government in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica has one level of local self-government: the canton or municipality (82 in the OECD's 2020 count; new cantons have been created since). Each has an elected mayor and council, chosen in local elections held two years after national elections. Below them, district councils of elected síndicos represent districts. Community development associations and, in the 24 indigenous territories, indigenous development associations are important legal bodies at village level.
Republic of Costa Rica · Unitary presidential republic · Central America
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Provinces (7) | No elected government | Used for elections and statistics. |
| Cantons / municipalities (82 in 2020) | Mayor (alcalde) and council of 5–13 regidores elected for four years | Urban planning, local roads, waste, local taxes and permits (Article 170 and the Municipal Code). |
| Districts (484 in 2020) | District council of five elected members (síndicos) | Local projects; one síndico sits on the municipal council with a voice but no vote. A few districts have municipal district councils led by an elected intendente. |
Three questions about local power in Costa Rica
Are local leaders elected?
Mayors, regidores, síndicos and intendentes are elected. Provinces have no elected bodies. Development association boards are elected by members.
Which laws set up local government?
Municipalities are in the Constitution; districts, development associations and indigenous development associations are in law. Clan-based indigenous authority is customary.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Voters every four years; the Comptroller General audits municipalities; the Legislative Assembly creates new cantons (needing a two-thirds vote) and sets municipal law.
Traditional and customary authority
The Indigenous Law of 1977 created 24 indigenous territories for eight peoples (including the Bribri, Cabécar and Ngäbe). The state recognised indigenous development associations (ADIIs) as their legal representatives. Some communities argue that these associations, which follow a national template, sidelined traditional authorities such as clan elders, and the issue remains disputed. Elsewhere, the Catholic Church is the state religion under the Constitution but has no local governing role.
Community and neighbourhood power
Community development associations (Asociaciones de Desarrollo Comunal), registered with the national community development agency (DINADECO), exist in most communities. Elected by members, they receive some public funds and run local projects such as community halls and roads. Cantonal Institutional Coordination Councils (CCCIs), chaired by the mayor, coordinate public agencies in each canton.
Points to know
- Since 2016 all municipal posts are elected together, two years after the presidential election, so local issues get their own campaign.
- Costa Rica abolished its army in 1949; local police are a mix of national police and municipal police.
- The 11 largest cantons hold 41% of the population.
Local terms
- Síndico
- An elected district representative who sits on the municipal council with a voice but no vote.
- ADI / ADII
- Community (or indigenous) development association, a registered local body that runs community projects.
Sources
- Costa Rica: country profile (SNG-WOFI), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment, checked 14 October 2026
- Costa Rica's Constitution of 1949 (rev. 2020), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Costa Rica's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.