Costa Rica: businesswomen are winners

Costa Rica is the Central American country with the most favorable conditions for women entrepreneurs, although financing is a big obstacle to success, according to the Women’s Entrepreneurship Index, published last month by The Economist.

Costa Rica was sixth in Latin America, followed by Panama, at ninth position in the overall ranking.

The least friendly climate for women entrepreneurs is El Salvador.

The overall ranking is led by Chile, while Jamaica had the lowest score.

The study analyzes female-owned small and mid-size businesses in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, taking into account factors such as risks, access to finance, capacity and skills, and social services (figures in brackets indicate the position of the Central American countries the overall ranking).

1. Costa Rica (6)
2. Panama (9)
3. Honduras (14)
4. Nicaragua (15)
5. Guatemala (16)
6. El Salvador (17)