Puerto Rico
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government
Puerto Rico as the 2022 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 138 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
17 fieldsLand useshare of 9,104 sq km
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Terrain
- mostly mountains with coastal plain in north;
- precipitous mountains to the sea on west coast;
- sandy beaches along most coastal areas
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
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 and Society
31 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2020 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2022 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2010 est.)
Religions(2014 est.)
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.
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
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 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
- total population:
- 0.89 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Environment
9 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- soil erosion;
- occasional droughts cause water shortages;
- industrial pollution
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 93.6% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- -0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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.)
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 796 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- industrial:
- 2.365 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
- agricultural:
- 113.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Governor Pedro PIERLUISI (since 2 January 2021)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Senate, 51 seats, elected 3 November 2020one dot, one seat
Composition: men 41, women 10, percent of women 19.6%
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- conventional short form:
- Puerto Rico
- abbreviation:
- PR
- 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
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:
- 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)
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
Constitution
- history:
- previous 1900 (Organic Act, or Foraker Act); latest ratified by referendum 3 March 1952, approved 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952
- 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
Legal system
civil law system based on the Spanish civil code and within the framework of the US federal system
Suffrage
- 18 years of age;
- universal;
- note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021)
- head of government:
- Governor Pedro PIERLUISI (since 2 January 2021)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by governor with the consent of the Legislative Assembly
- 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)
- 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%
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)
- 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)
- 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)
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 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]
International organization participation
AOSIS (observer), Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WFTU (NGOs)
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: design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
National anthem
- name:
- "La Borinquena" (The Puerto Rican)
- lyrics/music:
- Manuel Fernandez JUNCOS/Felix Astol ARTES
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
- 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
Economy
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.
32 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 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.
Credit ratings
Standard & Poors rating: D (2015) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agricultural products
milk, plantains, bananas, poultry, tomatoes, mangoes/guavas, eggs, oranges, gourds, papayas
Exports - commodities
packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, hormones, orthopedic and medical appliances, sulfur compounds (2019)
Imports - commodities
nitrogen compounds, sulfur compounds, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines, cars (2019)
Energy
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2020)
Installed generating capacity, 6.18 million kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 1.361 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 1.502 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 79,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- 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.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- consumption:
- 1,366,512,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- imports:
- 1,366,512,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
18.999 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 3.774 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 11.407 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 3.818 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- 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)
- domestic:
- digital telephone system;
- mobile-cellular services;
- fixed-line nearly 25 per 100 and mobile-cellular nearly 122 per 100 persons (2020)
- 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: 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
Broadcast media
- more than 30 TV stations operating;
- cable TV subscription services are available;
- roughly 125 radio stations
Transportation
5 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Ports and terminals
- major seaport(s):
- Ensenada Honda, Mayaguez, Playa de Guayanilla, Playa de Ponce, San Juan
- container port(s) (TEUs):
- San Juan (2,142,662) (2019)
- LNG terminal(s) (import):
- Guayanilla Bay
Military and Security
No regular indigenous military forces; US National Guard (Army and Air), State Guard, Police Force
2 fieldsMilitary and security forces
no regular indigenous military forces; US National Guard (Army and Air), State Guard, Police Force
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Puerto Rico.” The World Factbook 2022. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/puerto-rico/2022.