Puerto Rico

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Central America and Caribbean San Juan

Population

2.98M

Area

9,104 km²

GDP

$125.84B

GDP Per Capita

$44,100

Pop. Density

328/km²

Quick Facts

Currency

$United States dollar(USD)

Calling Code

+1787

Timezone

UTC-04:00

Languages

English, Spanish

Driving Side

right

Demonym

Puerto Rican

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.

Historical Trends

GDP (USD)

↑44.4% since 2006

$87B (2006)$126B (2024)

Population

↓15.8% since 2006

3.8M (2006)3.2M (2024)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Latest: 81.7 years

2006: 77.6 years2023: 81.7 years

Data source: World Bank Open Data

Geography17

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 66 30 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total : 9,104 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km
water: 145 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

501 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

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

Elevation

highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 261 m

Natural resources

some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Land use

agricultural land

19% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 5.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 11.6% (2023 est.)

forest

50.3% (2023 est.)

other

30.6% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

220 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

population clusters tend to be found along the coast, with the largest of these in and around San Juan; an exception 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

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; hurricanes

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

People & Society28

Population

total: 2,984,841 (2025 est.)
male: 1,400,771
female: 1,584,070

Nationality

noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican

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.)

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.

Religions

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

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)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 60.7 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 19.4 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 41.2 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 2.4 (2025 est.)

Median age

total: 46.7 years (2025 est.)
male: 44.2 years
female: 47.8 years

Population growth rate

-1.1% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

7.78 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

10.48 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-8.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

urban population: 93.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

2.440 million SAN JUAN (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

11 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.1 years (2024 est.)
male: 78.9 years
female: 85.5 years

Total fertility rate

1.27 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.62 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Physician density

3.06 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

40.9% (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 16% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy

total population: 92.4% (2017 est.)
male: 92.4% (2017 est.)
female: 92.4% (2017 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 17 years (2023 est.)
male: 16 years (2023 est.)
female: 18 years (2023 est.)

Government25

Country name

conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico
abbreviation: PR
etymology: Christopher COLUMBUS originally 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, the names were shortened and transposed

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

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

Capital

name: San Juan
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: Spanish explorer Juan PONCE de Leon named the city in 1511 both for himself and for his name saint, Saint John

Administrative divisions

no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) are considered 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

Legal system

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

Constitution

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

Citizenship

see United States

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state

President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)

head of government

Governor Jenniffer GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN (since 2 January 2025)

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by governor with the consent of the Legislative Assembly

election/appointment process

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, but they can 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)

most recent election date

5 November 2024

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%

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%

expected date of next election

7 November 2028

Legislative branch

legislature name: Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
legislative structure: bicameral
term in office: 4 years

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes)

number of seats

51 (directly elected)

electoral system

plurality/majority

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

most recent election date

11/3/2020

parties elected and seats per party

PPD (26); PNP (21); MVC (2); PIP (1); PD (1)

percentage of women in chamber

19.6%

expected date of next election

November 2024

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate (Senado)

number of seats

30 (directly elected)

electoral system

plurality/majority

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

most recent election date

11/3/2020

parties elected and seats per party

PPD (12); NP (10); MVC (2); PD (1); PIP (1); independent (1)

percentage of women in chamber

48.1%

expected date of next election

November 2024

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

Political parties

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

International organization participation

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

Independence

none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

National holiday

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

Flag

description: five equal horizontal bands of red alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the left side has a large five-pointed white star in the center

meaning: the star stands for the country; the three sides of the triangle stand for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government; blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters, red for the blood shed by warriors, and white for liberty, victory, and peace

National symbol(s)

Puerto Rican spindalis (bird), coqui (frog)

National color(s)

red, white, blue

National anthem(s)

title: "The Star-Spangled Banner"
lyrics/music: Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH
history: official anthem, as a US commonwealth

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the US entry
selected World Heritage Site locales: La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site

Economy22

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $141.344 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $136.926 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $136.247 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024: 3.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 0.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $44,100 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $42,700 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $42,300 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$125.842 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 4.3% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021: 2.4% (2021 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020: -0.5% (2020 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.7% (2024 est.)
industry: 48% (2024 est.)
services: 51.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

76% (2024 est.)

government consumption

8.2% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

14.6% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2024 est.)

exports of goods and services

51.9% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-42.8% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

milk, plantains, bananas, tomatoes, chicken, oranges, mangoes/guavas, pineapples, eggs, pumpkins/squash (2023)

Industries

pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism

Labor force

1.152 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024: 5.5% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 5.8% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 6% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 12.5% (2024 est.)
male: 14% (2024 est.)
female: 9.8% (2024 est.)

Budget

revenues: $9.268 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: $9.974 billion (2017 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016: 50.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Exports

Exports 2024: $65.368 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $63.563 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $59.712 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

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

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

Imports 2024: $53.898 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $56.889 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $52.15 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners

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

Imports - commodities

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

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Energy7

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 6.898 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 18.669 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.224 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 94.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 4.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

consumption: 1.124 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 500 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 1.124 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 80,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption: 2.315 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
exports: 15.627 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 2.331 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 86.286 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications6

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 758,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 4.1 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.pr

Internet users

percent of population: 87% (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 751,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (2023 est.)

Transportation3

Airports

20 (2025)

Heliports

40 (2025)

Ports

total ports

14 (2024)

large

medium

small

very small

ports with oil terminals

key ports

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

Military & Security2

Military and security forces

Puerto Rico Police; Puerto Rico (US) National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico or GNPR) (2025)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues1

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 146 (2024 est.)

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