2024 Edition Primary

Background

Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, Puerto Rico was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 after 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 that provided 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. A referendum held in late 2020 showed a narrow preference for 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. In 2017, Hurricane Maria was the worst storm to hit the island in eight decades, and damage was estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. 

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

12.5% (male 191,649/female 184,597)

15-64 years

62.6% (male 904,406/female 986,778)

65 years and over

24.9% (2024 est.) (male 322,698/female 429,322)

Birth rate

7.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

37.4% (2023 est.)

Death rate

10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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

Gross reproduction rate

0.61 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

5.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

6.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

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

85.5 years

male

78.9 years

total population

82.1 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

92.4% (2021)

male

92.4%

total population

92.4%

Major urban areas - population

2.440 million SAN JUAN (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

34 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

47.8 years

male

44.2 years

total

46.1 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Puerto Rican

noun

Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)

Net migration rate

-9.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

3.06 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

1,600,697 (2024 est.)

male

1,418,753

total

3,019,450

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

-1.2% (2024 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

15-64 years

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.89 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.26 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

93.6% of total population (2023)

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)

election results

2024: Jenniffer GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN elected governor; percent of vote - Jenniffer GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN (PNP) 39.4%, Juan DALMAU Ramírez (PIP) 32.7%, Jesús Manuel ORTIZ (PPD) 21.1%, Javier JIMÉNEZ (PD) 6.7%, other 0.1%; note - GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN takes office 2 January 20252020: 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%

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 on 5 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 14, women 13, percentage women 48.1% 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, percentage women 19.6%; total Legislative Assembly percentage women 29.5%

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)

note

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)

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

Citizens' Victory Movement (Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana) or MVCDemocratic Party of Puerto RicoNew Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood)Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth)Project Dignity (Projecto Dignidad) or PDPuerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence)Republican Party of Puerto Rico

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, chicken, tomatoes, mangoes/guavas, eggs, oranges, pumpkins/squash, papayas (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$9.974 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

$9.268 billion (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.)

Economic overview

US Caribbean island territorial economy; hit hard by COVID-19 and hurricanes; declining labor force and job growth after a decade of continuous recession; capital-based industry and tourism; high poverty; energy import-dependent

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

Exports 2020

$62.237 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$57.916 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$59.787 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

53.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption

7.1% (2023 est.)

household consumption

80% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-47.8% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

13.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.7% (2023 est.)

industry

49.1% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

50.6% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$117.902 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2020

$44.513 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$45.052 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$51.509 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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

4.3% (2014 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

1.154 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

Public debt 2017

51.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$132.334 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$137.056 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$137.828 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

0.39% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.57% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.56% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$40,600 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$42,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$43,000 (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

8.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

7.9% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.96% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

10.5% (2023 est.)

male

14.9% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

13.7% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

2.935 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

2.763 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

11.561 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

17.26 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.299 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

3 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

1.299 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

18.1 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

6.601 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.224 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

97.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

1.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

76.228 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

1.409 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

1.409 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

80,000 bbl/day (2022 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

77.7% (2021 est.)

total

2,564,100 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 22 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 112 per 100 persons (2021)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

23 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

739,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

120 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

3.896 million (2022 est.)

Airports

20 (2024)

Heliports

38 (2024)

Ports

key ports

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

medium

3

ports with oil terminals

7

small

4

total ports

14 (2024)

very small

7

Roadways

total

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

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Military and security forces

Puerto Rico Police Bureau (Negociado de la Policía de Puerto Rico); Puerto Rico (US) National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico or GNPR)

note

note: the GNPR was created by order of the US Congress in June 1919; the organization traces its lineage and history to Spanish militias created in 1511 and is one of the oldest organizations in the US National Guard system

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

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

7.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

2.37 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

800 million cubic meters (2020 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.)