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Memorials
April 1, 2026
P. del S. 298

To create the Puerto Rico Human Trafficking Observatory under the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, to dispose of its powers and prerogatives, to provide for its organization, to create the position of Director of the Puerto Rico Human Trafficking Observatory, to grant it functions and duties, to require the creation and development of a Strategic Plan to combat human trafficking in Puerto Rico, as well as to establish the public policy of the Government of Puerto Rico; and for other purposes.

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Announcements
January 12, 2021
Statistics Institute publishes fourth edition of the Creative Industries Report.

PRESS RELEASE

Statistics Institute publishes fourth edition of the Creative Industries Report

The Report for the year 2018 reflects the decline in several indicators

San Juan, PR, January 12, 2021 — During the calendar year 2018, the number of people employed in Creative Industries was estimated at 22,172, with the media sector employing the most people, accounting for 47.5% of these. Overall, this meant a decrease of 1,217 jobs compared to 2017. This was revealed in the Creative Industries Report 2018, published by the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, and which presents social, economic and labor indicators for the development of creative industries in Puerto Rico. The sources used for this report correspond to the data sets of the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Department of Education - National Center for Education Statistics And the U.S. Customs. Here are some of the most relevant findings:

  1. The number of post-secondary graduates in areas related to the creative industries was 2,453 students (2,329 in 2017).
  2. The microenterprise category characterizes 68% of creative industries because they are mostly companies that employed between 1 and 4 employees.
  3. The number of establishments ranged from 1,731 to 1,943 (between 1,908 and 2,054 for 2017). The sector dedicated to the arts was the largest with 632 establishments.
  4. In the distribution by sex, men occupied 63% of jobs.
  5. Wages by industry fluctuated between $5,123 (theater companies) and $120,732 (software publishing).
  6. Average salaries per occupation ranged from $17,780 for movie ushers to an average of $60,750 for software developers.
  7. At the time of the study, Puerto Rico had a rate of 6.1 establishments dedicated to creative industries per 10,000 inhabitants (6.4 in 2017).
  8. The trade balance of cultural industry activity was negative when imports exceeded exports by $189,475,346 (the negative balance in 2017 was $167,454,125).

“The creative industries were mostly comprised of companies that employed between 1 and 4 employees. The decline experienced in several of the indicators, such as the number of establishments and people employed in creative industries, may respond to the passage of Hurricane Maria through Puerto Rico in September 2017 and its effects on infrastructure, electrical energy and telecommunications services, whose consequences lasted for several months following the event. These circumstances greatly affected the most vulnerable commercial and industrial sectors,” said Francisco Pesante, Assistant for Statistical Projects at the Institute and author of the report.

See more details and information about the Creative Industries Report, as well as previous publications, in the Publications section of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics: Publications.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access.

For more information you can visit our website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. In addition, you can follow us on social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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Contact:

https://preguntas.estadisticas.pr/

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Announcements
December 10, 2020
The percentage of people with a high school level or higher in Puerto Rico increases

PRESS RELEASE

PUERTO RICO STATE DATA CENTER NETWORK (SDC-PR)

The percentage of people with a high school level or higher in Puerto Rico increases

Comparison of the periods 2010-2014 and 2015-2019, indicates that 69 municipalities reflected an increase in this characteristic

San Juan, PR, December 10, 2020 — The U.S. Census Bureau today released the most recent data from the Puerto Rico Community Survey known as the Puerto Rico Community Survey. These statistics refer to information collected over a period of 5 years, from 2015 to 2019. The new publication provides data on demographic, social, economic and housing characteristics for Puerto Rico and municipalities, as well as for specific geographical levels such as neighborhoods, census tracts and block groups. As part of the State Data Center Network of the U.S. Census Bureau in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) presents several interesting results:

  1. In a comparison of the previous five-year period 2010-2014, compared to the most recent period 2015-2019, estimates indicate that:
    • In Puerto Rico's population aged 25 and over, the percentage of people with a high school education degree or higher increased from 23.6% to 25.9%, this difference being statistically significant.
    • At the municipal level, some 69 municipalities showed a similar increase in the number of people with at least a high school degree.
      • In 24 of the 69 municipalities, the differences were statistically significant.
      • The municipality of Ceiba showed no change (18.1%) during both periods.
      • On the other hand, the municipalities of Maricao, Juncos, Aguada, Arroyo, Cataño, Sabana Grande, Patillas and Maunabo showed a decrease in this characteristic within the educational level achieved. The difference between the municipality of Juncos was the only statistically significant difference.
  2. In addition, at the level of Puerto Rico during the period 2015-2019, among the social characteristics it was estimated that:
    • 85,573 grandparents live with their grandchildren, of whom 38.6% are responsible for them.
    • Of the households in Puerto Rico (1,192,654), the following types are broken down:
      • 37.8% are from families of married couples,
      • 8.5% are from couples who live together,
      • in 16.3% of households, men are heads of household without a wife/partner (or) present, and of these 11.8% live alone,
      • and in 37.3% of households women are heads of household without a husband/partner (or) present, and of these 16.3% live alone.
    • Regarding the presence of computers and Internet access, 68.6% and 60.4% of households in Puerto Rico have a computer and a broadband Internet subscription, respectively.

“The comparison of the percentage of people with education, at least at the high school level, shows that most municipalities increased that percentage in the most recent period. However, the considerable differences between municipalities with this characteristic are striking, ranging from 8% in Maricao to 45% in Guaynabo.”, said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

Tables with interesting characteristics can be accessed in the U.S. Census Bureau's data dissemination tool data.census.gov. In addition, as the leading entity of Puerto Rico's SDC, the Institute manages the SDC portal, which contains the main statistical reports and publications of the U.S. Census Bureau on Puerto Rico, specifically those that are most in demand, such as annual population estimates; the Puerto Rico Community Survey and official statistics on Puerto Rico's decennial population and housing censuses, among others. The Puerto Rico SDC portal can be accessed through: censo.estadisticas.pr.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access.

For more information you can visit our website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. In addition, you can follow us on social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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For questions:

https://preguntas.estadisticas.pr/

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Announcements
November 17, 2020
Six municipalities with at least 60% of their population living in poverty

PRESS RELEASE

PUERTO RICO STATE DATA CENTER NETWORK (SDC-PR)

Six municipalities with at least 60% of their population living in poverty

They are located in the center and south-west according to the Map Series of the Puerto Rico Census Data Network

San Juan, PR, November 17, 2020 — The percentage of people living in poverty shows that six municipalities have between 60% and 64% of their population with this characteristic. The geographical distribution shows that they are located in the center and southwest of Puerto Rico, these being Maricao, Guánica, Adjuntas, Lajas, Jayuya and Comerío. La Selected Indicator Map Series includes the information collected during the period 2014-2018 through the Community Survey carried out by U.S. Census Bureau. This series includes ten indicators on demographic, social and economic topics at the level of municipalities and neighborhoods in Puerto Rico.

In addition, with information from the same period (2014-2018), the Socio-Demographic Profiles of Puerto Rico's Electoral Districts Which are divided volume I and II, with the 8 Senate Districts and with the 40 Representative Districts respectively. These provide a detailed photograph of each electoral district with essential information to know the particularities of the population that resides in each of them.

Both new products (Map and Profile Series) are part of the publications of the Puerto Rico Census Data Network (SDC-PR by its acronym in English). All of them can be accessed free of charge on the SDC-PR censo.estadisticas.pr. As a local liaison entity with the U.S. Census Bureau, the Institute of Statistics shares several findings from the Selected Indicator Map Series:

  • Among the 10 municipalities with the highest percentage of children under 18, eight of them were in the southern and central region of Puerto Rico. On the other hand, the 4 municipalities with the lowest percentage of minors were Guaynabo, and to the west Rincón, Mayagüez and Hormigueros.
  • The highest percentages of the 18-64 year old population were in 7 municipalities, these being Toa Alta, Aguada, Morovis, and in the central-eastern area Cidra, Gurabo, Juncos and San Lorenzo. On the other hand, the municipalities with the lowest percentages of the population aged 18-64 are located mainly in the southwest (Hormigueros, San Germán, Sabana Grande, Lajas and Guánica) and to the east (Fajardo, Ceiba and Culebra).
  • The municipalities with the highest percentage of elderly people (65+) are shown to be in the western area of Hormigueros, San Germán, Lajas and Rincón.
  • Municipalities with the highest percentages (80%-84%) of people with a higher education level or higher are geographically concentrated in the metropolitan area, in addition to Santa Isabel on the south coast. On the other hand, the two municipalities with the lowest percentage of education attained are located in the midwest (Maricao and Las Marías).
  • As for the population with disabilities (reported on their own account), 6 of the 10 municipalities with the highest percentages (Cayey, Cidra, Comerío, Aguas Buenas, Naranjito and Orocovis) are geographically concentrated in the central area, and the other 4 municipalities are located in the south-west (Guánica, Sabana Grande, Hormigueros and Yauco). On the other hand, a concentration of municipalities in the south-east region reflected hundreds of children with disabilities (< 15%), with 9 of the 13 municipalities in this category including the island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra.
  • In the metropolitan region, east and south, most of the municipalities with the highest percentage (50%-74%) of households with access to broadband internet are clustered. In a situation of lower access, some 4 municipalities in the western region showed that they had less than 35% of their homes with internet access, these being Lajas, Cabo Rojo, Maricao and Las Marías.
  • In percentage terms, the population in 37 municipalities around Puerto Rico was shown to have half of its population or more (50% +) living in poverty. Municipalities with the lowest percentage of people in poverty are located in the metropolitan area with the exception of the municipalities of San Juan and Cataño.
  • Regarding family income across municipalities, this indicates that about 7 municipalities (Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Dorado, Carolina, Toa Alta, Culebra and Bayamón) showed a median of between $30,000 and $39,000 in family income. The municipality with the highest median household income was Guaynabo ($44,000).
  • The highest percentage of people in the workforce (50%-57%) are mostly municipalities in the metropolitan area and the Northeast, where 11 of the 13 municipalities with this characteristic are located, Culebra and Juana Diaz the only ones outside these regions.

“The series of maps provides a geographical perspective on features of interest within Puerto Rico. The behavior of geographical patterns could support government and community management, analysis for decision-making, and stimulate research. In the same sense, the profiles of the electoral districts serve as basic metrics for current and future public policy that affects the residents of these regions.” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access. In addition, as the leading entity of the SDC in Puerto Rico, the Institute manages the SDC portal, which contains the main statistical reports and publications of the U.S. Census Bureau on Puerto Rico, specifically those that are most in demand, such as annual population estimates; the Puerto Rico Community Survey (Puerto Rico Community Survey) and official statistics on Puerto Rico's 10-year population and housing censuses, among others. The Puerto Rico SDC portal can be accessed through: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/.

For more information you can visit our website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. In addition, you can follow us on social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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For questions:

https://preguntas.estadisticas.pr/

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Announcements
September 17, 2020
Net migration was estimated at 35,000 people in 2019

During the calendar year 2019, it was estimated, in net terms, that nearly 35,000 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States. This is revealed by the most recent data from the Community Survey.

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau covers the 2019 calendar year. The new data has been published through the new platform data.census.gov. As the local entity liaising with the U.S. Census Bureau, the Institute of Statistics shares several findings from the new 2019 data:

  1. In 2019, Puerto Rico's migration indicators showed the following changes compared to previous years:
    • Around 35,000 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States in net terms, representing a decrease compared to previous years (2011-2018) where the net balance ranged from 49,000 to 113,000 people migrating annually based on information from the Community Survey.
    • 31,144 people immigrated from the United States to Puerto Rico, contrasting with an increase in immigrants of 49% compared to 2018, where an estimated immigration of 20,900 people was estimated.
    • 66,021 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States, showing a decrease from the record number in 2018, which amounted to 133,451 people.
  2. Regarding various socioeconomic characteristics for Puerto Rico during 2019:
    • Some 684,655 people or 21.6% of the population (3,169,528) reported having a disability.
    • Around 77,000 grandparents live with their grandson or granddaughter under 18 and 32.2% of these are responsible for them.
    • For the population aged 25 and over (2,301,735):
      • 78.8% had a higher education or higher education
      • 27.2% had an education attained at the baccalaureate level or higher
    • 39.5% and 43.5% of families and individuals, respectively, are below the poverty line.
    • The median household income was $20,474.
    • The median household income was $25,388.
    • The GINI index, which measures income inequality, where the value of 0 indicates that there is perfect equality and the value 1 total inequality, places Puerto Rico with an indicator of 0.5509, being the highest when compared to the states.
    • As for households (1,170,982), it was estimated that:
      • 76.3% had a computer
      • 68.2% had access to an internet subscription (broadband)

“In terms of migration, published data for 2019 point to a reduction in net migration compared to previous years. However, the fact that nearly 35,000 people have emigrated means that 1% of Puerto Rico's population declined through emigration in a single year, which has been the drastic trend throughout the decade 2010-2020,” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

See more details, data and information about the 2019 Community Survey at: data.census.gov. In addition, you can consult about the transition to the new platform for accessing census data, available at the following links, webinars: https://cutt.ly/Cw7v9fI, SDC-PR and tutorials: https://www.census.gov/data/academy/data-gems/2019/visualize-data.html.

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Announcements
August 26, 2020
Data presented from the Report on Violent Deaths in Puerto Rico

PRESS RELEASE

Data presented from the Report on Violent Deaths in Puerto Rico

729 homicides and 276 suicides were reported in Puerto Rico in 2017

The Puerto Rico Violent Death Notification System (PRVDRS) established at the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, presented data from the Puerto Rico Violent Deaths Report for 2017. The report reports that, in 925 documented incidents of violent deaths, there were 1,025 victims. According to the PRVDRS, violent deaths are those that occur primarily by suicide or homicide.

The data indicate that 70.3% of the incidents were classified as single or multiple homicides, 26.3% were single incidents of suicide and 1.4% of the incidents were homicide-suicides. In 2017, six homicide-suicide incidents were reported, resulting in 14 fatalities, of which eight were classified as homicides and six as suicides. In addition, during this period, three violent deaths attributed to legal intervention (0.3%) and 17 violent deaths with undetermined intent (1.7%) were documented. The report concludes that in 2017 there were a total of 729 homicides and 276 suicides in Puerto Rico.

In 2017, the crude homicide rate was 21.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, 43.8 in men (1 in 31 men) and 2.1 in women (1 in 650 women). The primary mechanism of the homicides was firearms. 45.5% of the 729 homicides are documented as related to drug trafficking and organized crime. The report also indicates that firearms were used in practically all homicides related to organized crime (97.9%). In Puerto Rico, according to the report, 90% of homicides are committed with firearms, more than double the global average of 41.2%. 82.1% of these weapons are pistols or revolvers. The report of Small Arms Survey In 2017, it estimated that 422,000 firearms were in legal (registered by the police) and illegal possession in Puerto Rico; that is, approximately 12 out of every 100 people owned a firearm. PRVDRS data for 2017 show that firearms continue to be the primary mechanism for homicides in both men (91.3%) and women (64.9%).

Of the 21 homicides with evidence of family violence, 18 are the result of conflicts in partner or ex-partner relationships. The majority of these victims are women (72.2%) and 17 of the 18 suspects are men (94.4%). The circumstances in these homicides relate to immediate or ongoing conflict, or to violence between partners or ex-partners (72.2%), a crisis between intimate partners (33.3%) or jealousy over a current or previous intimate partner relationship (16.7%). In 53.8% of male-female relationships, femicide occurred using a firearm and in 38.5% a sharp instrument.

As for suicides in Puerto Rico, the report highlights that the frequency is lower than that of homicides. However, as in homicides, suicides are more frequent in men (84.4%). In 2017, the crude suicide rate was 8.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, 14.7 in men (1 of 97 men) and 2.5 in women (1 of 536 women). The main mechanism was asphyxiation.

Myribel Santiago, manager of statistical projects at the Institute of Statistics and co-principal investigator of the Report on Violent Deaths in Puerto Rico, explained that the collection of this type of data involves fieldwork that takes more than 16 months from the moment the incident occurs, the data is recorded and collected, among the collaborating agencies, until the closure and disclosure of the data. “We are pleased to have completed the first annual report of violent deaths in Puerto Rico,” said Santiago, who highlighted that the PRVDRS ranked number one in excellence in the timeliness and completeness of the 2017 data, among the 42 jurisdictions participating in the NVDRS in the United States.

“This system is a reliable, complete and unique reference source that helps describe the context of violent deaths in the victim-aggressor relationship and the magnitude, trend and characteristics of violent deaths in Puerto Rico,” said Dr. Diego Zavala, epidemiologist and co-principal investigator of the PRVDRS.

For the executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, these statistics are one of the main tools to combat the phenomenon of violence in Puerto Rico. “These data, among others, serve as a basis for establishing effective measures for the prevention of violence in Puerto Rico, from multiple social, demographic and economic approaches. Our commitment at the Institute of Statistics is to continue strengthening this statistical and epidemiological system to continue improving the quality of this type of data,” argued Dr. Disdier.

The PRVDRS is an epidemiological surveillance system affiliated with the Institute of Statistics and designed to obtain a complete and standardized census of violent deaths in Puerto Rico. The PRVDRS began its participation in the National Violent Death Notification System (National Violent Death Reporting System, NVDRS) in September 2016 through a collaborative agreement granted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity tasked with coordinating the government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and accessible quickly and universally.

The 2017 Report on Violent Deaths in Puerto Rico is available at: Puerto Rico Violent Death Notification System. To learn about the Institute of Statistics, you can access it on social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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Contact:

Dr. Orville M. Disdier

787-586-4414

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Announcements
August 5, 2020
Statistics Institute requests information stipulated by law from government agencies

PRESS RELEASE

Statistics Institute asks government agencies

information stipulated by law

Statistical information was requested from 38 government agencies

San Juan, PR, August 5, 2020 — The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) reported that it recently requested in writing from 38 government agencies specific statistical information, as established in multiple laws in Puerto Rico. The initiative aims to ensure compliance with Article 13 of the Institute's Organic Law, Act No. 209 of August 28, 2003, as amended, which provides that all government agencies have the obligation to regularly and constantly send to the Institute any publication of statistical products they produce, in order to be incorporated into the Inventory of Statistics and to make them available to all citizens.

The Inventory of Statistics, specified by Article 5 (f) of the Institute's Organic Law, is where most of the statistical information collected by the Institute is kept and made available to the public, and is located online at: Inventory-of-statistics. It is the main source for those looking for official statistical information that describes, estimates or analyzes the characteristics of Puerto Rico and its society. The Inventory contains all important statistical activities carried out or planned to be carried out by government agencies, as well as information on how to obtain statistical reports for Puerto Rico that are prepared by government agencies and public corporations in Puerto Rico, municipalities and any other jurisdiction in the United States. Statistical reports from the private sector are also included in the Inventory.

The deadline given to agencies to respond is 20 calendar days, but agencies can request an extension, particularly if they receive multiple requests for statistical information. This is the case of agencies to which numerous laws that specify the generation of statistical information that is of great legislative interest apply, such as the Department of Education, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety. However, most of the government agencies contacted will receive few requests for statistical information and are not considered less important by the Institute. It should be noted that the Institute has tried to make the process for submitting the requested statistical products as efficient as possible, making it one that can be carried out completely online.

“We urge all government agencies contacted to provide the requested statistical information. The collaboration of government agencies will help the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute expand and keep its Statistics Inventory up to date. In addition, since these are statistical products specified by legal provisions, the information requested is particularly relevant to the decision-making processes of the Government of Puerto Rico,” said Jacobo M. Orenstein-Cardona, special assistant to the Institute's executive director and coordinator of this initiative.

About the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity tasked with coordinating the government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and accessible quickly and universally.

For more information you can visit the website: https://estadisticas.pr.gov/. In addition, you can follow the Institute on social networks, through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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