96% of municipalities in Puerto Rico have a population decrease

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IEPR

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19 December 2025

96% of municipalities in Puerto Rico have a population decrease

This is indicated by the estimates for the year 2023 of U.S. Census Bureau

(Approved by the Office of the Electoral Commissioner: OCE-SA-2024-05533)

San Juan, PR, March 18, 2024 — The U.S. Census Bureau released the most recent Annual Population Estimates data for municipalities in Puerto Rico, as well as for counties in the United States. These statistics refer to July 1, 2023 and include estimates of the total population for each municipality and the population change in the current decade. On behalf of the U.S. Census Bureau's Network of Data and Census Information Centers (SDC-PR) in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute) reported several findings from the new publication of population estimates for 2023:

Compared to the 2020 Decennial Census with a reference date of April 1, 2020, compared to the most recent year available, July 1, 2023, estimates indicate that:
- Changes in the population of residents in municipalities ranged from 1.6% to -10.0%.
- In 96% of the municipalities, a population decrease was estimated. Meanwhile, in the municipalities of Rincón, Naranjito and Barranquitas, a slight increase (0.1% - 1.6%) was estimated.
- Some seven municipalities reflected an estimated reduction equal to or greater than five percent (5%) within the comparative period.
- The total population of all of Puerto Rico is estimated to have fallen by 2.4 percent, translating to nearly 80,000 fewer residents than in April 2020.

With regard to the geographical dimension between municipalities, on the estimated change in the total population up to the year 2023, The interactive map provides the geographical distribution.

In this map it can be identified that:

- The seven municipalities with the highest percentage of population decline were Guánica (-10.0%), Loíza (-5.9%), Guayanilla (-5.5%), Ponce (-5.3%), Yauco (-5.2%), Guayama (-5.0%) and Yabucoa (-5.0%).
  - Five of the seven municipalities are located in southern Puerto Rico, Loíza and Yabucoa in the Northeast and Eastern regions respectively.
- The seven municipalities with the lowest percentage of population decline were Aibonito (-0.1%), Isabela (-0.3%), Moca (-0.4%, Dorado (-0.5%), Corozal (-0.6%), Camuy (-0.6%) and Adjuntas (-0.7%).

“The general trend of population decline continues in municipalities, an aspect that began in the jurisdiction for nearly two decades (2005). The phenomenon of reduction is more cautious in several municipalities where the rate is indicated to be five percent or more in just three years of this decade, according to new estimates,” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Senior Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

As an interactive summary, the Institute published a visualization that allows us to see the new series of estimates at the municipal level, facilitating geographical comparison within Puerto Rico. This visualization can be accessed at: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/node/517.

The tables with the annual population estimates for Puerto Rico and its municipalities can be accessed at: https://censo.estadisticas.pr/EstimadosPoblacionales, as well as in the data dissemination tool of the U.S. Census Bureau: data.census.gov.

As the leading entity of the State Data Center of Puerto Rico, the Institute manages the SDC portal, which contains the main statistical reports and publications of the U.S. Census Bureau about 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 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 the website: www.estadisticas.pr Or write to preguntas@estadisticas.pr. They can also follow social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), X (@EstadisticasPR), LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) and Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) accounts.

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96% of municipalities in Puerto Rico have a population decrease

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Office of the Commissioner of Municipal Affairs joins the Financial Transparency System to be accountable for its income and expenses

Office of the Commissioner of Municipal Affairs joins the Financial Transparency System to be accountable for its income and expenses

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New system improves speed and effectiveness when answering questions from citizens about statistical data

Press Release

New system improves speed and effectiveness when answering

Questions from citizens about statistical data

In order to automate and improve the speed and effectiveness of the processes for answering citizens' questions on statistical issues, the Statistics Institute of Puerto Rico developed a new version of the system for answering questions. This new procedure allows managers and assistants of the Institute to see in real time the questions sent by citizens and to speed up the way they answer those questions. Through the tool of Google Analytics, the system allows us to know important aspects such as: demographic data, geographical data, if the user used a computer or a cell phone, the browser or Browser used, the company of Internet, among others.

“Using this new system, we will better know how long it took us to answer questions, what topics are most common among citizens and what resources were required to answer them. In addition, the tool makes it possible to generate quality control metrics, allowing the Institute to streamline processes, make better use of time, human resources and, consequently, public funds,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier, acting executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

To use the new question system, people can send an email to preguntas@estadisticas.pr or access the link directly https://www.estadisticas.pr.gov/

Those interested in learning more about the Institute of Statistics can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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Contacts:

Idia M. Martinez, R-28/787-603-3200

Lourdes Burgos, R-27/787-562-2932

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Statistics Institute launches subscription system to offer recent statistical products

Statistics Institute launches subscription system to offer recent statistical products

The service is free of charge

Current statistics, is the new official registry of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics to provide, through a subscription system, recent statistical products to citizens. Subscribers of Current statistics they will receive relevant data directly to their emails on specific topics in which they indicated that they had an interest. In this way, they will have up-to-date information on preferred data, whether for work, study, business or general interest purposes.

Through this system, whose registration process is quick and simple, subscribers will select the topics of interest on which they want to receive updated data once they are available. The Institute will also share with subscribers updated information that is considered to be of interest to the subscriber community. The subscription service to Current statistics it's free, but interested parties must register through the following link: Subscriptions.

“This new service allows us to continue to make the data and statistical products generated by the Institute accessible to all people. In the same way, it is an excellent tool to continue educating about the importance of statistics, since eventually subscribers will have exclusive access to Current statistics vlog, in which educational information, novel and relevant to the field of statistics, will be published,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, Executive Director of the Institute.

The service, as reported, is aimed at anyone interested in obtaining statistical data such as researchers, health professionals, statisticians, teachers, demographers, journalists, university students, human behavior professionals, public servants, among others.

All statistical products produced or published by the Statistics Institute are available at www.estadisticas.pr. However, subscribers to Current Statistics will have the advantage of receiving direct notifications to their email about the most recent data produced or published by the Institute.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is a governmental entity in the executive branch, with fiscal and administrative autonomy, whose main purpose is to ensure that Puerto Rico has complete, reliable statistics that are quickly and universally accessible. To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook accounts (@statistics.pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics).

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La Ley Núm. 209-2003, según enmendada, creó al Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico como una entidad gubernamental autónoma con la encomienda de coordinar el servicio de producción de estadísticas del Gobierno para asegurar que los sistemas de recopilación de datos y estadísticas, en los que se basan las políticas públicas, estén completos, sean confiables y de acceso rápido y universal.

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