The design of a social protection system in Costa Rica, with universal aims and focused on the promotion of citizenship and of fundamental social rights, dates to the mid-20th century. During that period a series of confrontations took place, which ended in a civil war to defend universal suffrage, with the participation of workers from the Communist Party, intellectuals and business people united in partisan groups of Social Christian and Social-democratic trends, as well as representatives from the Catholic Church. This war finished with diverse agreements that created a fundamental social legislation that established the basis of the welfare state in Costa Rica. The welfare state was expanded and reinforced in the context of the “Second Republic”. The institutionalization of social policy, the promotion of universal policies in the areas of health, social security, education, housing and basic services (drinking water and electricity), as well as economic growth, allowed a sustained improvement in human development, with significant 
achievements internationally recognized.

 
Among these accomplishments stand out the reduction of infant mortality —that fell from 123 deaths per thousand births in 1940, to 61.5 in 1970 and 9.1 in 2011—, the increase in life expectancy —which rose from 55.6 years in 1950 to 65.4 in 1970 and 79.3 in 2011— and the reduction of poverty —from 50% of households in 1950 to 20% at the end of the 20th century.