Area: 9 044 sq km
Population: 3 285 874 inhab. (census 2020)
Density: 363.32 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 18° N; long. 67° - 65° W
Capital: San Juan (chief town) 312 975 inhab. (2020); San Juan 2 119 072 inhab. (2020), urban agglomeration
Currency: US dollar (100 cents)
Governor: Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia (New Progressive Party), since 2 January 2021
Internet: //estadisticas.pr (Instituto de Estadísticas)
Puerto Rico

GMT -4
DST not applied
Annual average temperature (°C) San Juan 26.5
Average temperature in January/July (°C) San Juan 24.5/28
Daily sunshine hours in June/December (average) San Juan 8.5/7
Annual average precipitation (mm) San Juan 1280
Days of rainfall (annual average) San Juan 151

Geography.
Puerto Rico is an island of the Greater Antilles. The Atlantic lies off its north coast and the Caribbean Sea off its south coast. It is separated from the island of Hispaniola by the Mona Passage. The main mountain range is the Cordillera Central. There are broad, flat strips of land between the mountains and the sea. It has a tropical climate.
Formerly a Spanish possession, the island of Puerto Rico was ceded to the USA in 1898. Since 1952, it has been an unincorporated territory of the USA, and has a delegate to the House of Representatives in Washington in the form of a non-voting Resident Commissioner. The Commissioner is elected directly for four years, as is the Governor, the local House of Representatives (51 members) and the Senate (at least 27 members). With the referendum on 11 June 2017, residents of Puerto Rico decided to become the 51st US state, but the result is not binding. Puerto Ricans are US citizens, but do not have the right to vote in US presidential elections. There is a military base on the island of Vieques.
Administrative division
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
San Juan | 312 975 | inhab. | 2020 |
Bayamón | 170 480 | inhab. | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
San Juan | 2 119 072 | inhab. | 2020 |
Population
Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | ||||||||
| ||||||||
MALE | AGE | FEMALE |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 7.3 | ‰ | 2017 |
Death rate | 8.9 | ‰ | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Catholic | 69.7 | % | 2010 |
Protestant | 25.1 | % | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION |
---|
English (official) |
Spanish (official) |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
0-14 years | 14.2 | % | 2020 |
15-29 years | 19.5 | % | 2020 |
Economy
Economic instability culminated in 2017 with a de facto bankruptcy, caused by the impossibility of sustaining the exorbitant public debt. Added to this were the damage of a hurricane in September 2017 and the pandemic in 2020. The main crops are sugar cane (from which rum is also produced), coffee and bananas. In addition to the transformation industry, there are textile factories (at Ponce), engineering, chemical and pharmaceutical plants (at Guayanilla, Bayamón and Ponce), paper, glass and cement works (Ponce, San Juan). Mayagüez is the centre of the embroidery industry. Between San Juan and Humacao there are many factories making toys and artificial flowers. Tourism is another important source of income.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 102.21 | index | 2016 |
Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 94.31 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Active population | 1 009 583 | units | 2020 |
Active population, Females | 42.9 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate | 11.2 | % | 2020 |
Unemployment rate, Females | 32.6 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenses | 28 600 | M LCU | 2014 |
Revenues | 29 600 | M LCU | 2014 |
Agriculture
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
arable land | 7.463 | % | 2018 |
forests | 55.846 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cereals, total | 0.111 | 1000 t | 2019 |
maize | 0.038 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cassava | 0.17 | 1000 t | 2019 |
roots and tubers, total | 5.212 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cabbages | 0.289 | 1000 t | 2019 |
chillies and peppers | 2.652 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beans, dry | 0.012 | 1000 t | 2019 |
beans, green | 0.156 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 0.602 | 1000 t | 2019 |
copra | 1$ | 1000 t | 2006 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coffee | 3.078 | 1000 t | 2019 |
ginger | 0.109 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sugar cane | 0$ | 1000 t | 2014 |
tobacco | 0.001 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
fruits, total | 215.906 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
citrus fruits | 13.692 | 1000 t | 2019 |
grapefruits | 0.671 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
avocados | 0.467 | 1000 t | 2019 |
bananas | 75.313 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
maize | 0.01 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
rice | 0.052 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cassava | 0.042 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
sweet potatoes | 0.058 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cabbages | 0.009 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
chillies and peppers | 0.377 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beans, dry | 0.022 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
beans, green | 0.076 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 0.213 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coffee | 4.885 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
ginger | 0.021 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sugar cane | 0$ | 1000 ha | 2014 |
tobacco | 0.001 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
citrus fruits | 1.754 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
grapefruits | 0.029 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
avocados | 0.159 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
bananas | 1.261 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cattle | 359.489 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
cattle and buffaloes | 359.489 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pigs | 45.102 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sheep | 7.366 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
goats | 2.838 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
asses | 2$ | 1000 heads | 2019 |
asses and mules | 4.634 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
birds | 15 572 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
honey | 0.044 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
eggs | 14.985 | 1000 t | 2019 |
hides and skins | 0.602 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
crustaceans and molluscs | 980.663 | t | 2019 |
freshwater fishes | 8$ | t | 2019 |
Energy
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 16 751 | M kWh | 2018 |
- other renew. | 1 176.57 | M kWh | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 5 406 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
- other renew. | 251 | 1000 kW | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
total net generation | 17 965.63 | M kWh | 2018 |
total installed capacity | 5 755 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
Industry
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
petrol | 487.5 | 1000 t | 2009 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconut oil | 0.6 | 1000 t | 2014 |
spirits and liqueurs | 0.111 | 1000 hl | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cement | 1 000 | 1000 t | 2020 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
chemicals production | 22 688.9 | M US$ | 2006 |
food, beverages and tobacco production | 3 124 | M US$ | 2006 |
Tourism
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures | 893 | M US$ | 2018 |
Number of arrivals | 3 180 000 | units | 2019 |
Social and welfare
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expected years of schooling | 15.9 | years | 2016 |
Graduates | 37 187 | units | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Students, primary level | 208 544 | units | 2018 |
Students, secondary level | 218 923 | units | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Hospital beds | 2.4 | per 1000 pop. | 2011 |
Physicians | 2$ | per 1000 pop. | 2004 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tuberculosis (prevalence) | 1.4 | per 100 000 pop. | 2008 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Research and development spending | 0.429 | % of GDP | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Access to electricity | 100 | % | 2019 |
Access to improved drinking-water source | 97.125 | % | 2017 |