To direct the Senate of Puerto Rico’s Committee on Finance, Budget, and PROMESA to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the excise tax on crude oil and its derivatives, known as the “crudita”; its legislative origin, tax evolution, and economic impact on consumers; its relationship to the financing of the Highways and Transportation Authority; the financial commitments associated with said tax within the public debt Adjustment Plan; its integration into certified fiscal plans; and any other matter related to the tax policy applicable to oil and fuels in Puerto Rico.

En el marco del décimo aniversario del Sistema de Notificación de Muertes Violentas de Puerto Rico (PRVDRS), compartimos una nueva cápsula informativa que presenta datos relevantes sobre el suicidio en Puerto Rico y el mundo.

Establecido en 2016 con el apoyo de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC), el PRVDRS integra información de distintas fuentes oficiales para ampliar el conocimiento sobre las muertes violentas y apoyar la toma de decisiones basada en evidencia.

Hoy, 10 de septiembre, Día Mundial para la Prevención del Suicidio, destacamos algunos datos que nos ayudan a comprender mejor esta realidad:

• Entre 2017 y 2024, se registraron 1,925 muertes por suicidio en Puerto Rico, para un promedio de 241 al año.

• En 2021, el suicidio fue la tercera causa de muerte entre los jóvenes de 15 a 29 años, tanto en Puerto Rico como a nivel mundial.

• El suicidio afecta de manera desproporcionada a los hombres.

Conocer los datos es fundamental para desarrollar estrategias de prevención y promover una conversación informada. Hablar salva vidas.

Si usted o alguien que conoce necesita apoyo, puede llamar o enviar un mensaje al 988 o comunicarse con la Línea PAS de ASSMCA al 1-800-981-0023

#estadisticasPR #statisticsPR

Access Episode 4 of the second season of The Institute of Statistics: The Podcast!

In this episode, Alejandro Rodríguez-Putnam, a researcher at the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, discusses the prevention of firearm-related deaths.

Access episode 4 at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7f0PSnfPO26zBP1aG2tQAA.

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics and the Fire Bureau have coordinated strategies to improve the Bureau's statistical reporting.

Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, Executive Director of the Institute, and Commissioner Josué Piñeiro Torres of the Fire Bureau led a meeting that resulted in a work plan to improve the processes for collecting, analyzing, and producing the statistics and reports generated by the Bureau.

Producing more comprehensive, reliable, and easily accessible statistics will promote better decision-making and service optimization.

Access the infographic on incidents reported by the Puerto Rico Fire Bureau: Incidents reported by the Puerto Rico Fire Bureau (2022-2025).

Statistics Institute steps up oversight of agencies and municipalities failing to appoint representatives to the Statistics Coordination Committee

39.7% of municipalities and 14.8% of executive branch agencies are currently non-compliant

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics (Institute) has intensified its oversight of agencies, public entities, and municipalities that have failed to fulfill their duty to appoint a representative to the Statistics Coordination Committee (CCE). As part of this effort, the Institute has published Special Report 2027-01, which identifies 16 executive branch agencies and entities, as well as 31 municipalities, that remained non-compliant as of August 31, 2026, despite requests and follow-ups made since January. These entities must complete their appointments immediately or face further findings, potential administrative fines, and other legal actions.

Under the Institute’s organic law, the Statistics Coordination Committee serves as the government’s advisory, coordinating, and participatory body for Puerto Rico’s Statistical Production Service. This body is responsible for ensuring the flow and continuity of statistical data and information, resolving issues regarding access to such data, and proposing solutions to problems related to the operation of statistical units. Furthermore, the Statistics Coordination Committee Regulations stipulate that, upon request by the Institute’s Executive Directorate, the head of each government entity must fulfill the duty of appointing the CCE member who will represent that entity on the Committee.

Special Report 2027-01 shows that 85.2% of executive branch agencies and public entities are in compliance. Conversely, the compliance rate for municipalities is lower, at 60.3%. Meanwhile, 14.8% of executive branch agencies and public entities are non-compliant, as are 39.7% of municipalities.

“Compliance with CCE appointments is an essential requirement, as it ensures that Puerto Rico has access to complete, reliable, and universally accessible statistics. For this reason, since the beginning of 2026, the Institute has conducted an extraordinary campaign to promote and monitor compliance. Special Report 2027-01 on CCE appointments reflects a considerable increase in designations, as previously less than 50% of agencies had appointments and very few municipalities had designated representatives. Despite this progress, the report also shows that there are still agencies in non-compliance, and, in particular, many municipalities that have yet to meet this requirement,” stated Dr. Orville M. Disdier, Executive Director of the Institute of Statistics.

Details regarding which entities and municipalities are non-compliant (having failed to meet the appointment requirement) can be found in Section 3 of Special Report 2027-01. Additionally, Section 2 lists the executive branch entities and municipalities that are in compliance (having met the appointment requirement).  

Agencies and municipalities that have already fulfilled their CCE appointment requirements do not need to take any further action at this time. However, those that are non-compliant must immediately complete and submit the appointment form (FormularioDesignaciónCCE-31-10-2025) to Dr. Idania Rodríguez Ayuso, the Institute’s Deputy Executive Director (idania.rodriguez@estadisticas.pr), with a copy to Jacobo Orenstein Cardona, the Institute’s Executive Assistant (jacobo.orenstein@estadisticas.pr).

“We urge all executive branch agencies and entities, as well as all municipalities that remain non-compliant, to take immediate action to avoid further findings and potential fines,” added Disdier.

You can access the full report at: Special report on the compliance of agencies and municipalities with appointments to the Statistics Coordination Committee - 2027-01.

A lack of interpreters and trained staff are among the communication barriers facing the Deaf community

69% of those who evaluated their communication experience in healthcare services rated it as fair or poor.

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics presented the results of the Registry and Study of Needs of the Deaf Community in Puerto Rico for the period of January 13 to July 24, 2026. The results underscore the importance of having sign language interpreters and trained staff to facilitate this population's access to essential services. According to the report, 89% of those who responded to the needs questionnaire indicated they had visited a hospital, clinic, or doctor's office within the last year. Among the issues noted when evaluating communication in these settings were the lack of interpreters and the absence of trained staff.

Likewise, when asked what they primarily need when attending an appointment at a government office or healthcare service, respondents mentioned the need for trained staff, the availability of in-person interpreters, and the provision of forms accessible to the Deaf.

“These findings allow us to identify concrete needs to continue strengthening the accessibility of services received by the Deaf or hard-of-hearing community. Having trained staff, sign language interpreters, and accessible communication tools can make a significant difference in people's experiences and their ability to receive the guidance and services they need,” said the Institute of Statistics' executive director, Dr. Orville M. Disdier.

Key findings include:

• 89% indicated they had visited a hospital, health clinic, or doctor's office within the last year.

• 71% reported using hearing aids or a cochlear implant.

• 69% of those who evaluated their communication experience in healthcare services rated it as fair or poor.

• 67% of those who responded to the Registry indicated they have been deaf since birth.

• 62% indicated they are not currently employed.

• 61% noted they do not have access to video relay services.

• Puerto Rican Sign Language and American Sign Language accounted for 398 mentions among the forms of communication used by those enrolled in the Registry.

The results are part of the official report prepared by the Institute in compliance with Executive Order OE-2026-002, issued by Governor Jenniffer González Colón. The document was submitted to the governor on August 12, 2026, as requested and established in the executive order.

The executive order tasked the Institute, in collaboration with various government agencies and entities, with making a formal effort to collect information on the Deaf community in Puerto Rico, including its characteristics, particularities, and forms of communication. As part of this mandate, the Institute developed two components: the Registry of Deaf Persons in Puerto Rico and the Needs Questionnaire for the Deaf Community. This builds upon the effort previously undertaken by the Institute, which culminated in the First Study of Needs of the Deaf Community in Puerto Rico, published on July 21, 2022, and available on the Institute's website.

During the analyzed period, the Registry received 803 entries, 410 of which met the established inclusion criteria. For its part, the Needs Questionnaire reached 103 processed responses.

“Understanding how this population communicates and what their needs are is fundamental to guiding decision-making and developing initiatives that respond to their reality. This effort provides us with a foundation to continue expanding the available information and promoting increasingly accessible services,” added Disdier.

“These results describe the characteristics and experiences of the people who participated voluntarily. While they should not yet be used to make estimates for the entire Deaf community in Puerto Rico or for comparisons between municipalities, they do allow us to begin formulating public policy. In this sense, we recommend expanding the project's scope, strengthening the collaboration of the agencies involved, developing a municipal outreach plan, and continuing to collect and expand the data,” explained Joselyn Santiago, one of the study's lead authors.

Although the executive order has expired, the Institute will continue to expand and update the Registry and the Needs Questionnaire until at least the end of December 2026. This will allow for the inclusion of more participants, increased geographic representation, and the strengthening of available information to continue supporting the development of public policies and services aimed at the Deaf community.

“This effort is only the beginning, as we will continue to strengthen and expand both the registry and the needs study. At the Institute, we will continue to seek the necessary resources to allow us to reach more people within the Deaf communities who wish and need to be heard and represented,” said Dr. Disdier.

The full report is available through the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics portal at: Registry and Study of Needs of the Deaf Community in Puerto Rico.

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