2022 Edition

Background

Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self-government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood. Economic recession on the island has led to a net population loss since about 2005, as large numbers of residents moved to the US mainland. The trend has accelerated since 2010; in 2014, Puerto Rico experienced a net population loss to the mainland of 64,000, more than double the net loss of 26,000 in 2010. Hurricane Maria struck the island on 20 September 2017 causing catastrophic damage, including destruction of the electrical grid that had been crippled by Hurricane Irma just two weeks before. It was the worst storm to hit the island in eight decades, and damage is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. A referendum held in late 2020 showed a narrow preference for American statehood.

Area

land

8,959 sq km

total

9,104 sq km

water

145 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island

Climate

tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

501 km

Elevation

highest point

Cerro de Punta 1,338 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

261 m

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 66 30 W

Geography - note

important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north

Irrigated land

220 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

22% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 5.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.)

forest

63.2% (2018 est.)

other

14.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; hurricanes

Natural resources

some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Population distribution

population clusters tend to be found along the coast, the largest of these is found in and around San Juan; an exception to this is a sizeable population located in the interior of the island immediately south of the capital around Caguas; most of the interior, particularly in the western half of the island, is dominated by the Cordillera Central mountains, where population density is low

Terrain

mostly mountains with coastal plain in north; precipitous mountains to the sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas

Age structure

0-14 years

14.22% (male 231,406/female 222,061)

15-24 years

12.78% (male 207,169/female 200,373)

25-54 years

37.73% (male 573,114/female 630,276)

55-64 years

13.5% (male 197,438/female 232,931)

65 years and over

21.77% (male 297,749/female 396,551) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

7.87 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Death rate

9.76 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

34.9

potential support ratio

2.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

56.3

youth dependency ratio

21.3

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

White 75.8%, Black/African American 12.4%, other 8.5% (includes American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islander, and others), mixed 3.3% (2010 est.)

note

note: 99% of the population is Latino

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

5.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

6.61 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.04 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Spanish, English

major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.08 years (2022 est.)

male

78.47 years

total population

81.68 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

92.4% (2017)

male

92.4%

total population

92.4%

Major urban areas - population

2.440 million SAN JUAN (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

21 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

45.3 years (2020 est.)

male

41.6 years

total

43.6 years

Nationality

adjective

Puerto Rican

noun

Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)

Net migration rate

-11.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Physicians density

3.06 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

3,098,423 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

population clusters tend to be found along the coast, the largest of these is found in and around San Juan; an exception to this is a sizeable population located in the interior of the island immediately south of the capital around Caguas; most of the interior, particularly in the western half of the island, is dominated by the Cordillera Central mountains, where population density is low

Population growth rate

-1.38% (2022 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 56%, Protestant 33% (largely Pentecostal), other 2%, atheist 1%, none 7% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

18 years (2018)

male

15 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.91 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.85 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.64 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.89 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.24 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

93.6% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

23.1% (2012 est.)

male

28.9%

total

26.6%

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

Capital

etymology

the name dates to 1521 and the founding of the city under the name "Ciudad de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico" (City of Saint John the Baptist of Puerto Rico)

geographic coordinates

18 28 N, 66 07 W

name

San Juan

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United States

Constitution

amendments

proposed by a concurrent resolution of at least two-thirds majority by the total Legislative Assembly membership; approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and approval by a majority of voters in a special referendum; if passed by at least three-fourths Assembly vote, the referendum can be held concurrently with the next general election; constitutional articles such as the republican form of government or the bill of rights cannot be amended; amended 1952

history

previous 1900 (Organic Act, or Foraker Act); latest ratified by referendum 3 March 1952, approved 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952

Country name

abbreviation

PR

conventional long form

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

conventional short form

Puerto Rico

etymology

Christopher COLUMBUS named the island San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist) and the capital city and main port Cuidad de Puerto Rico (Rich Port City); over time, however, the names were shortened and transposed and the island came to be called Puerto Rico and its capital San Juan

Dependency status

unincorporated organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territory of the US)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by governor with the consent of the Legislative Assembly

chief of state

President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021)

election results

2020: Pedro PIERLUISI elected governor; percent of vote - Pedro PIERLUISI (PNP) 32.9%, Carlos DELGADO (PPD) 31.6%, Alexandra LUGARO (independent) 14.2%, Juan DALMAU (PIP) 13.7%, other 7.6%2016: Ricardo ROSSELLO elected governor; percent of vote - Ricardo ROSSELLO (PNP) 41.8%, David BERNIER (PPD) 38.9%, Alexandra LUGARO (independent) 11.1%, Manuel CIDRE (independent) 5.7%

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of Puerto Rico do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)

head of government

Governor Pedro PIERLUISI (since 2 January 2021)

Flag description

five equal horizontal bands of red (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; the white star symbolizes Puerto Rico; the three sides of the triangle signify the executive, legislative and judicial parts of the government; blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters; red symbolizes the blood shed by warriors, while white represents liberty, victory, and peace

note

note: design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

Government type

unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; note - reference Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act, 2 March 1917, as amended by Public Law 600, 3 July 1950

Independence

none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

International organization participation

AOSIS (observer), Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 8 associate justices)

judge selection and term of office

justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by majority Senate vote; judges serve until compulsory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts

Court of Appeals; First Instance Court comprised of superior and municipal courts

Legal system

civil law system based on the Spanish civil code and within the framework of the US federal system

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa consists of:Senate or Senado (30 seats statutory, 27 current; 16 members directly elected in 8 2-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 11 at-large members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (51 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 12, NP 10, MVC 2, PD 1,  PIP 1, independent 1; composition - men 17, women 10; percent of women 37% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 26, PNP 21, MVC 2,  PIP 1, PD 1; composition - men 41, women 10, percent of women 19.6%; note - total Legislative Assembly percent of women 25.6% note: Puerto Rico directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 4-year term as a commissioner to the US House of Representatives; the commissioner can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House but not when legislation is submitted for a 'full floor' House vote; election of commissioner last held on 6 November 2018 (next to be held in November 2022)

elections

Senate - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024 )House of Representatives - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Manuel Fernandez JUNCOS/Felix Astol ARTES

name

"La Borinquena" (The Puerto Rican)

note

note: music adopted 1952, lyrics adopted 1977; the local anthem's name is a reference to the indigenous name of the island, Borinquen; the music was originally composed as a dance in 1867 and gained popularity in the early 20th century; there is some evidence that the music was written by Francisco RAMIREZ; as a commonwealth of the US, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is official (see United States)

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the US entry

National holiday

US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)

National symbol(s)

Puerto Rican spindalis (bird), coqui (frog); national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties and leaders

Citizens' Victory Movement (Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana) or MVC [Manuel NATAL Albelo]Democratic Party of Puerto Rico [Charlie RODRIGUEZ]New Progressive Party or PNP [Pedro PIERLUISI Urrutia] (pro-US statehood)Popular Democratic Party or PPD [Jose Luis DALMAU] (pro-commonwealth)Project Dignity (Projecto Dignidad) or PD [Cesar VASQUEZ Muniz]Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] (pro-independence)Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Jenniffer GONZALEZ]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Agricultural products

milk, plantains, bananas, poultry, tomatoes, mangoes/guavas, eggs, oranges, gourds, papayas

Budget

expenditures

9.974 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

9.268 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

D (2015)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$0 (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$0 (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2009

$52.98 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2010

$56.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Economic overview

Puerto Rico had one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region until 2006; however, growth has been negative for each of the last 11 years. The downturn coincided with the phaseout of tax preferences that had led US firms to invest heavily in the Commonwealth since the 1950s, and a steep rise in the price of oil, which generates most of the island's electricity.   Diminished job opportunities prompted a sharp rise in outmigration, as many Puerto Ricans sought jobs on the US mainland. Unemployment reached 16% in 2011, but declined to 11.5% in December 2017. US minimum wage laws apply in Puerto Rico, hampering job expansion. Per capita income is about two-thirds that of the US mainland.   The industrial sector greatly exceeds agriculture as the locus of economic activity and income. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income with estimated arrivals of more than 3.6 million tourists in 2008. Puerto Rico's merchandise trade surplus is exceptionally strong, with exports nearly 50% greater than imports, and its current account surplus about 10% of GDP.   Closing the budget deficit while restoring economic growth and employment remain the central concerns of the government. The gap between revenues and expenditures amounted to 0.6% of GDP in 2016, although analysts believe that not all expenditures have been accounted for in the budget and a better accounting of costs would yield an overall deficit of roughly 5% of GDP. Public debt remained steady at 92.5% of GDP in 2017, about $17,000 per person, or nearly three times the per capita debt of the State of Connecticut, the highest in the US. Much of that debt was issued by state-run schools and public corporations, including water and electric utilities. In June 2015, Governor Alejandro GARCIA Padilla announced that the island could not pay back at least $73 billion in debt and that it would seek a deal with its creditors.   Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico square on in September 2017, causing electrical power outages to 90% of the territory, as well as extensive loss of housing and infrastructure and contamination of potable water. Despite massive efforts, more than 40% of the territory remained without electricity as of yearend 2017. As a result of the destruction, many Puerto Ricans have emigrated to the US mainland.

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

Exports 2016

$73.2 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$73.17 billion (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, hormones, orthopedic and medical appliances, sulfur compounds (2019)

Exports - partners

Italy 15%, Netherlands 15%, Belgium 9%, Japan 8%, Germany 8%, Austria 8%, Spain 7%, China 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

117.8% (2017 est.)

government consumption

12.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

87.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-129.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

11.7% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.5% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.8% (2017 est.)

industry

50.1% (2017 est.)

services

49.1% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$104.2 billion (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$48.86 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$49.01 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

nitrogen compounds, sulfur compounds, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines, cars (2019)

Imports - partners

Ireland 38%, Singapore 9%, Switzerland 8%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-2.1% (2017 est.)

Industries

pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

-0.3% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.8% (2017 est.)

Labor force

1.139 million (December 2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2.1%

industry

19%

services

79% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2016

50.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

51.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$109.53 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$111.16 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$106.82 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

-1% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

-1.3% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

-2.4% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$34,300 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$34,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$33,400 (2020 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

8.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

11.8% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

10.8% (2017 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

23.1% (2012 est.)

male

28.9%

total

26.6%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

3.774 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

3.818 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

11.407 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

18.999 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.361 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

1.502 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

15,203,140,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

6.18 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2.5 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

94.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

3.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

94.379 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

1,366,512,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

1,366,512,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

79,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

18,420 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

127,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

24 (2020 est.)

total

671,284 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

more than 30 TV stations operating; cable TV subscription services are available; roughly 125 radio stations

Internet country code

.pr

Internet users

percent of population

78% (2020 est.)

total

2,559,600 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

digital telephone system; mobile-cellular services; fixed-line nearly 25 per 100 and mobile-cellular nearly 122 per 100 persons (2020)

general assessment

Puerto Rico has a small telecom market which in recent years has been deeply affected by a combination of economic mismanagement and natural disasters, including two hurricanes which landed in late 2017 and an earthquake which struck in January 2020; these disasters caused considerable destruction of telecom infrastructure, which in turn led to a marked decline in the number of subscribers for all services; compounding these difficulties have been a long-term economic downturn which encouraged many people not to resume telecom services after these were restored; after some delay, the FCC in late 2019 issued an order relating to the release of funds to help rebuild telecom infrastructure; although Puerto Rico is a US territory it lags well behind the mainland US states in terms of fixed-line and broadband services; this is partly due to high unemployment rates (and consequently low disposable income) and poor telecoms investment in a market; the mobile market has been impacted by several mergers and acquisitions over the last few years; the activities of large multinational telcos continue to impact the Puerto Rican market; operators have secured spectrum in the 600MHz and 3.5GHz bands, thus enabling them to expand the reach of LTE services and launch services based on 5G;  the growing number of submarine cables landing in Puerto Rico is helping to drive down the cost of telecom services, creating a demand for streaming content from abroad; the uptake of cloud-based applications for both business and individuals is also creating a heightened demand for affordable services (2021)

international

country code - 1-787, 939; landing points for the GTMO-PR, AMX-1, BRUSA, GCN, PCCS, SAm-1, Southern Caribbean Fiber, Americas-II, Antillas, ARCOS, SMPR-1, and Taino-Carib submarine cables providing connectivity to the mainland US, Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

711,512 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

122 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

3,483,570 (2020 est.)

Airports

total

29 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

7

over 3,047 m

2

total

17

under 914 m

5 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

1

total

12

under 914 m

10 (2021)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

San Juan (2,142,662) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Guayanilla Bay

major seaport(s)

Ensenada Honda, Mayaguez, Playa de Guayanilla, Playa de Ponce, San Juan

Roadways

total

26,862 km (2012) (includes 454 km of expressways)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Military and security forces

no regular indigenous military forces; US National Guard (Army and Air), State Guard, Police Force

Disputes - international

illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work

Climate

tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Environment - current issues

soil erosion; occasional droughts cause water shortages; industrial pollution

Land use

agricultural land

22% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 5.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.)

forest

63.2% (2018 est.)

other

14.8% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

7.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

113.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

2.365 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

796 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

93.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4,170,953 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

583,933 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

14% (2013 est.)