Capital

Puerto Rico

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: 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)

Citizenship

Puerto Rico

see United States

Legal system

Puerto Rico

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

Suffrage

Puerto Rico

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

Area

Puerto Rico

total: 9,104 sq km

land: 8,959 sq km

water: 145 sq km

Land use

Puerto Rico

agricultural land: 22% (2018 est.)

arable land: 6.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 5.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 63.2% (2018 est.)

other: 14.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Puerto Rico

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

Age structure

Puerto Rico

0-14 years: 12.84% (male 199,933/female 192,690)

15-64 years: 62.98% (male 921,003/female 1,004,395)

65 years and over: 24.18% (2023 est.) (male 317,522/female 421,768)

Birth rate

Puerto Rico

7.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Puerto Rico

10 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Puerto Rico

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

Puerto Rico

total population: 81.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 78.7 years

female: 85.3 years

Major urban areas - population

Puerto Rico

2.440 million SAN JUAN (capital) (2023)

Median age

Puerto Rico

total: 45.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 43.6 years

female: 47.2 years

Net migration rate

Puerto Rico

-10.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Puerto Rico

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

Puerto Rico

-1.29% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Puerto Rico

1.25 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Puerto Rico

urban population: 93.6% of total population (2023)

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

Education expenditures

Puerto Rico

3.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Puerto Rico

total: 16 years

male: 15 years

female: 18 years (2018)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Puerto Rico

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

Industrial production growth rate

Puerto Rico

-2.1% (2017 est.)

Labor force

Puerto Rico

1.136 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Puerto Rico

NA

Unemployment rate

Puerto Rico

8.27% (2021 est.)

8.89% (2020 est.)

8.3% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Puerto Rico

51.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

50.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Puerto Rico

1.8% (2017 est.)

-0.3% (2016 est.)

Exports

Puerto Rico

$73.17 billion (2017 est.)

$73.2 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - partners

Puerto Rico

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

Imports

Puerto Rico

$49.01 billion (2017 est.)

$48.86 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - partners

Puerto Rico

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

Airports

Puerto Rico

29 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Puerto Rico

total: 671,284 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Puerto Rico

total: 2,564,100 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 77.7% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Puerto Rico

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

Telephones - fixed lines

Puerto Rico

total subscriptions: 726,739 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Puerto Rico

total subscriptions: 3,661,176 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 112 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Puerto Rico

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